System and method for providing network support services and premises gateway support infrastructure

ABSTRACT

A service management system communicates via wide area network with gateway devices located at respective user premises. The service management system remotely manages delivery of application services, which can be voice controlled, by a gateway, e.g. by selectively activating/deactivating service logic modules in the gateway. The service management system also may selectively provide secure communications and exchange of information among gateway devices and among associated endpoint devices. An exemplary service management system includes a router connected to the network and one or more computer platforms, for implementing management functions. Examples of the functions include a connection manager for controlling system communications with the gateway devices, an authentication manager for authenticating each gateway device and controlling the connection manager and a subscription manager for managing applications services and/or features offered by the gateway devices. A service manager, controlled by the subscription manager, distributes service specific configuration data to authenticated gateway devices.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 15/357,847,filed on Nov. 21, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/047,976, filed Feb. 19, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/618,047, filed Sep. 14, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.9,270,492, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/521,758, filed May 3, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,010, which is aUnited States national phase application of international applicationNumber PCT/US2007/019544, filed Sep. 7, 2007, which claims the benefitof U.S. provisional application No. 60/882,865 filed Dec. 29, 2006 andof U.S. provisional application No. 60/882,862 filed Dec. 29, 2006. Eachof these applications is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present subject matter relates to a service management system, forremotely managing delivery of voice controlled application services byone or more gateway devices at respective user premises, which may alsoselectively provide secure communications and exchange of informationamong gateway devices and among endpoint devices associated with thegateway devices.

BACKGROUND

The digital home is now becoming more complex with the myriad of new andemerging digital devices intended to address many user and consumerneeds such as communication, entertainment, privacy and security, etc.However, given the complexity of the emerging digital home and digitalenvironments generally, users who are technologically challenged mayfind it a daunting and intimidating task to manage their home networksand interconnected digital devices. Moreover, new paradigms are emergingoriented to delivering media content to and the consuming of mediacontent at the home. Many of these paradigms rely on communication ofapplication specific data to and/or from the Internet, as opposed toconventional telephone or broadcast video type applications. Theprotection of received Internet-sourced media content in addition touser-generated media content is additionally an important aspect thatmay be inadequately addressed by the technologically challenged user.Furthermore, with respect to Internet based data, most of the contentdelivery solutions are provided to the digital home networks throughavailability of the “two-foot” interface (i.e. the PC). It is relativelycumbersome to bring this content to the “ten-foot” interface (e.g. thetelevision).

Thus, a need exists for a technique or devices to simplify the overallmanagement of services and applications available to the digital home oreven the small enterprise. Such a technique or devices would reduce thecomplexity of the maintenance, upgrading, and operation of even the morebasic needs addressed by emerging digital endpoint devices and networks.Approaches that suggest greater functionality in home-based appliancesfail to reduce or address the complexity of managing and provisioningthose appliances. For example, while the home gateway server appliancedescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,598 enables networked electronicdevices to communicate with each other without the direct interactionwith external networks, and provides a mechanism whereby a member of thehousehold may be informed of certain network related events withouthaving to use their home computer or other client devices, it does notprovide a convenient or simplified way of managing the services andapplications executed by, or associated with, that device. Thus, anunmet need exists for a device associated with a user premises that hasrobust functionality but does not require sophisticated or inordinateattention from the user to manage, provision and utilize them.

In practice, a customer typically subscribes to basic transport servicesfrom a network “Service Provider” (e.g. ISP—Internet Service provider,cable provider, fixed wireless providers, ILEC—Incumbent Local ExchangeCarrier, or CLEC—Competitive Local Exchange Carrier). For example, acustomer may have broadband Internet access, via cable modem, digitalsubscriber line service or the like. Digital video service may beprovided separately. The network service provider manages these basicservices, at the logical network layer, typically at layers 1, 2 or 3 ofthe OSI model. While network services and associated devices may operateminimally at those levels, they operate at those levels only to supportoperations at OSI layers 1, 2 or 3. Many applications, however, involvehigher level service logic for applications that view the networktransport as a transparent pipe. The current internet applicationsdelivery and management architecture, and many devices or managementsystems based on it, require a server with robust processing and storagecapability to be located at the network operations center, not in thehome. For voice over internet protocol (VoIP) type telephone service,for example, the VoIP service provider operates a session initiationprotocol (SIP) server or the like, and each user has only clientfunctionality. The network transport layers are transparent to the IPpackets containing the voice and related signaling. The SIP server,however, controls the call setup, tear-down, billing and the like forthe voice call services. With such an architecture, the majorcapabilities and functionalities connected with providing applicationservices from the server throughout the network reside on the server andsupporting elements, all of which are located in the network operationscenter.

It might be helpful to walk through examples of the configuration forapplication services delivery to a client of an application within auser premises under the typical, current network configuration. FIG. 10depicts one possible configuration for a client application to access aparticular service that is being hosted of served outside of the userpremises based on the typical, and currently employed, networkapplication service configuration. We identify two regimes in theoverall architecture, the Service Provider Network regime (WAN side),and the User Premises Network regime (LAN side). The association betweenthe Service Provider Network and the User Premises Network is brokendown into three layers; Network Interconnect Layer (NI), NetworkFunction Layer (NF), and the Application Services Layer (AS). Theselayers do not represent physical communication pathways, but are alogical representation of pathways and elements employed in anetwork-based communication.

The separation between the managed Service Provider Network (WAN side)and the User Premises Network (LAN side) is depicted as the NetworkService provider Demarcation. The Network Service Provider Demarcationat the Network Interconnect Layer represents the logical and physicalseparation between the user premises and the broad-band network. In thepresent representation of the three functional layers, the NetworkService Provider Demarcation is extended into the Services andApplication Layer to emphasize the functional barrier at that layerbetween the Service Provider Network and the User Premises Network, incurrently configured networks.

The NI Layer depicts how the connectivity between a User PremisesNetwork and the Public/Service Provider Network is established. On theService Provider Network side, the Wide Area Network services areterminated onto a WAN termination device with the appropriate interface(e.g. a Broadband internet service such as ADSL would terminate on to amanaged ADSL Terminal Adapter). The WAN termination layer adapts the WANinterface into a compatible LAN interface (e.g. Ethernet or WiFi). Onthe User Premises Network side the LAN Termination interfaces are usedto connect to the Local Area Network via a variety of interfaces, suchas Ethernet, WiFi, MOCA, etc.

The LAN Termination interfaces and the WAN Termination interface couldreside on two separate physical devices or they could reside on onephysical device. In either case, on the User Premises Network side,packets or data must flow through the NF Layer between the WANTermination Interface and the LAN Termination Interface. One or both ofthese interfaces may reside on a “gateway” device. Gateway and likerouter devices are currently available for various premises that allowseveral computers to communicate with one another and to share abroadband Internet connection. These devices function as routers bymatching local network addresses and the hostnames of the localcomputers with the actual networking hardware detected. As gateways,these devices translate local network addresses to those used by theInternet for outgoing communications, and do the opposite translationfor incoming packets.

The User Premises NF Layer allows for switching of packets between LANdevices and routing or bridging of packets between the LAN and WANinterfaces. It could physically reside on the same device(s) with theLAN Termination or it could exist at an independent device that couldinterconnect to the LAN Termination interface via a variety of physicalinterfaces (e.g. Ethernet, MOCA, etc.). The Service Provider NF Layerprovides the Wide Area Network access between the WAN Termination deviceand the AS Layer where all the applications servers are being hosted.The Internet could be used for this connectivity as could a privatepacket/cell network (e.g. Cellular packet network, or a private ATM orpacket backbone).

The AS Layer represents the functional layer that provides access toapplications services by application clients. On the User Premises side,the AS Layer provides a Firewall to protect the application client fromapplication level attacks from the open Internet. On the ServiceProvider side, the AS Layer encompasses application services such asParental Control, Backup, and Call Processing. These applicationservices exist on a managed Application Service Delivery Platform (ASD)on a secure network server that can be hosted at a facility that hasprivate and or public data connection paths. The ASD may include threefunctional modules, namely the Application Service Enforcement (ASE)module, the Application Service Logic (ASL) module, and the ApplicationService Management (ASM) module.

The ASE module is responsible for enforcing the relevant ApplicationClient privileges to the application services. It gets the policies andpermissions of each application client from the ASM module (such asprovisioning data and subscription data) and enforces those policiesagainst the requested actions by the client application.

The ASL module executes the application services that the ApplicationClients request. Such services could be Call Processing, ParentalControl, Peered Networking, Backup, etc. The ASL module must interactwith the ASM module for monitoring purposes and status information suchas Call Data Recording and Billing. It must also interact with the ASEmodule to provide access to the client applications that have passed thepolicy enforcement procedures.

The ASM module, as described above, provides the necessary data to theASE and ASL modules for them to carry out their respective functions. Italso oversees the overall integration and communication among all themodules and the services that are managed by the ASM. The ASM alsomanages the overall security and integrity of the ASD.

All ASD modules are in constant communication with each other,preferably through secure connections. The inter-module communicationmay be managed by the ASM, or may be independent of a central managementfunction. Note that the ASE, ASL and ASM modules are only examples offunctions that may be logically bundled; other bundles, and other meansof bundling these functions, are possible.

FIG. 11 depicts a logical flow of how a specific Application Clientresiding at a user premises could interact with an Application Servicethat is being managed in the typical network configuration.Traditionally, as depicted in this example, an Application Client (e.g.Telephony) that needs to connect to an Application Service (e.g. callprocessing) must first connect to the Local Area Network terminationinterface (1). Depending on the specific deployment, a switchingfunction, routing function or bridging function is used to establish theconnection path between the application client (2) and the Firewallservice (3). The Firewall Service works in conjunction with the routerfunction (4) to permit access to the Wide Area Network interface (5) andmaintain a level of security to the Application Client. The firewallservice in this example is not aware of either the type of applicationclient or the specific application service that is being targeted. Thereis no feedback mechanism between the Application Service DeliveryPlatform and the Firewall function. Once connectivity to the WANtermination interface is established, routing mechanisms are used toestablish a connection through the Service Provider Network. FunctionLayer (6) to the Application Service Layer (7). At the ApplicationService Layer, the client application goes through applicationvalidation procedures and privilege and permission checks by the ASEprior to allowing the application client to connect to the desiredapplication service.

In the logical hierarchy, such as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a homegateway device may implement the NI layer functions and the userpremises side NF layer functions. The firewall functionality may residein the gateway or in one or more other elements on the premises network.For example, many PCs internally implement firewalls, e.g. in closeassociation with the client programming of the endpoint device. As canbe seen by the illustrations in FIG. 11, however, even with a homegateway deployment for a premises network, the application servicesfunctionality still requires the support and service logic to reside ona server in the network. That is, for service provisioning, servicemanagement and upgrades, remote diagnostics, for a digital endpointdevice such as a PC or SIP phone, the home premises still must rely onthe application service logic executed by the service providers in theirserver networks, typically according to proprietary platforms. Moreover,many other core services, e.g. file storage, media content access anddelivery, are offloaded to other 3rd-party service providers thatprovide service logic and support applications at their network serverdevices.

With the paradigm discussed above relative to FIGS. 10 and 11, it iscurrently the case that many of the application service providers alsofind it difficult to provide and support new emerging technologies atthe home. That is, service providers are challenged to select a platformthat can evolve with their applications. With existing servicearchitectures, the launch of new services compounds complexity to thecore network, adding to both capital and operating expenditures.

Thus, as new services come to the fold, often with the requirement ofnew equipment, e.g. integrated access devices (IADs) for VoIP andset-top boxes for streaming video, the management of the customerpremises equipment (both hardware and software) complicates customersupport requirements. Managing the home network environment can be aninhibitor to the adoption of new services, both from the userperspective and from the perspective of management by the serviceproviders.

A need exists for a new paradigm, with improved convenience for the userand easier management for the application service provider. In thatregard, it would be desirable to provide an arrangement in which one ormore aspects of application service(s) facilitated by gateway deviceswithin the user premises are centrally managed.

SUMMARY

The disclosure herein addresses one or more of the issues outlined abovefrom a system perspective. The disclosure encompasses a servicemanagement system as well as combinations of such a system with one ormore gateway devices at user premises.

For example, a service management system is disclosed for managing voicecontrolled services through gateway devices at respective user premises.The gateway devices provide gateway connectivity to a wide area networkand at least some server functionality for service delivery for one ormore digital endpoint client devices associated with the gateway device,one or more of which may be at respective customer premises. Gatewaydevices communicate with endpoint devices within respective premisesover networks within the customer premises. The service managementsystem can include a router for connection to the wide area network forcommunications with the gateway devices, and one or more computerplatforms coupled to the router. The platform can also provide anauthentication manager for authenticating each of the gateway devicesand controlling the connection manager to establish a signalingcommunication link through the wide area network with each of thegateway devices upon successful authentication of each respectivegateway device. The computer platform can also be configured forimplementing a service manager for distributing service specificconfiguration data to logic implementing the server functionality inauthenticated gateway devices, via the wide area network, responsive tothe subscription manager. An application gateway can be configured toexecute the voice controlled application services provided from theapplication service provider, wherein the application gateway canexecute the application services at the user premises independent ofapplication services executing on the application service provider'snetwork, and wherein upon receiving a request to execute the applicationservice on the application gateway at the user premises, the servicemanager can communicate with the subscription manager to verify that therequest conforms with policy and usage rules associated with theapplication services in order to authorize execution of the applicationservices on the application gateway. A graphical user interface renderedon a display can be associated with at least one of the at least onecomputer platform, gateway devices and one or more endpoint devices, forenabling voice controlled management and control of application servicesexecuted by the application gateway on at least one of the computerplatform and the one or more endpoint devices.

Application services can include a service application executed at theapplication gateway that enables at least one of: home automation ofconnected devices within the user premises; home security of the userpremises via connected devices within the user premises; management ofvideo cameras and associated video data captured within the userpremises; management of sensors located at or within the user premises;management of monitors at or within the user premises; home automationof connected devices within the user premises; management, includingmonitoring, of medical devices within the user premises; management ofwired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the userpremises; management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices ator within the user premises; management of context sensitive advertisingthat is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within theuser premises.

In the disclosed example, the authentication manager can confirmauthentication of the respective gateway device and of applicationservices provided or executed by each respective gateway device, fromtime to time. The authentication manager can control the connectionmanager to maintain a logical session for the signaling communicationlink through the wide area network with each respective gateway deviceas long as the authentication manager continues to confirm theauthentication of the respective gateway device. Typically, thissignaling link remains logically on through the wide area network, solong as the gateway device is powered-on and can be authenticated by theservice management system.

The signaling communications between the gateway devices and the servicemanagement center may utilize a variety of different types of protocols.In the examples, the system is configured to communicate via thesignaling communication link through the wide area network with eachrespective gateway device, using a peer and presence messaging protocol.

In an example, the computer platform comprises a plurality of computerscoupled to the router, to arrange the system to form a servicemanagement center network. Such a network may implement a variety ofadditional functionalities. For example, the service management centernetwork can include a gateway device updater implemented on the at leastone computer platform. The updater can be configured for downloadingservice logic modules for implementing voice controlled applicationservices and/or service features to the gateway devices, via the widearea network, for enabling voice controlled application services and/orservice features identified by the service manager at respective gatewaydevices. The service management center network can also include alocation server functionality, responsive to the service manager, formaintaining information as to accessibility of authenticated gatewaydevices for enabling peer-to-peer communications among gateway devicesvia the wide area network. Another functionality that may be provided isan accessibility test server. Such a server communicates via signalingcommunication link through the wide area network with each of thegateway devices, to determine nature of accessibility of each gatewaydevice through the wide area network. The service management centernetwork can also include a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxyserver functionality and a Session Border Controller functionality,configured to support SIP based voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)telephone services through the wide area network for endpoint devicescommunicating through a plurality of the gateway devices.

The disclosure also encompasses systems that can include both a servicemanagement center and one or more of the gateway devices.

In a first example, such a disclosed system can provide managed servicesfor a plurality of endpoint devices associated with a premises having alocal area network, and the system can include a gateway device locatedat the premises coupled for communication with at least one of theendpoint devices which is located at the premises, via the local areanetwork. The gateway device can also be coupled for communication with awide area network outside the premises. The gateway device can beoperable to deliver one or more application services to the plurality ofendpoint devices. The gateway device can include one or more servicelogic modules for causing the gateway device to provide the one or moreapplication services respectively, and configuration data forconfiguring the one or more service logic modules to enable the gatewaydevice to deliver the one or more application services. The servicelogic modules and the configuration data can be logically positioned onthe user premises side of a logical Network Service ProviderDemarcation, between the wide area network and the user premises. Also,the gateway device can be further operable to provide interoperabilityamong two or more of the endpoint devices. The service management systemcan be coupled to the wide area network for communication with thegateway device. This can enable the service management system toremotely manage the delivery of the one or more voice controlledapplication services by the gateway device. The service managementsystem can selectively activate or deactivate one or more of the servicelogic modules in the gateway device.

As noted, the disclosure also encompasses a system having a number ofthe gateway devices. In such an arrangement, the service managementsystem can be further operable to selectively provide securecommunications and exchange of information among the gateway devices andamong the endpoint devices associated therewith.

The detailed description below also discloses examples ofimplementations of the gateway devices. For example, a gateway devicecan include a first interface for enabling bi-directional communicationswithin the premises via the local area network, with one or more of theendpoint devices. A second interface enables bi-directionalcommunications for the one or more endpoint devices via the wide areanetwork, and for enabling at least some bi-directional communicationswith the service management system via the wide area network. Thegateway device can include a processor coupled to the interfaces andstorage coupled to the processor, for storing programming for theprocessor including the one or more service logic modules and forstoring the configuration data.

In one arrangement, for each voice controlled application service,processor execution of the programming provides a number of functions inrelation to a respective service for one or more endpoint devices.Examples of such functions can include application server communicationwith a client functionality of one or more endpoint devices, for therespective service, communicated on top of network layer communicationsof one or both of the interfaces. The program implemented gatewayfunctions can also include enforcement regarding authorization,authentication, configuration, or use of the respective service via theone or more endpoint devices. The voice controlled application servicecan be managed based upon the communications with the service managementcenter via the wide area network through the second interface.

A specific example of the software architecture for the gateway devicesutilizes a layered approach. Such an architecture can include theservice logic modules, which provide logic for the application services.The programming can further include logic for interfaces for theapplication services, logic for a services framework, and logic forplatform management. The interaction and interoperability of theapplication service interfaces logic, the application services logic,the services framework logic, and the platform management logic can bemanaged responsive to the communications with the service managementcenter via the wide area network through the second interface.

Additional advantages and novel features will be set forth in part inthe description which follows, and in part will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon examination of the following and theaccompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation ofthe examples. The advantages of the present teachings may be realizedand attained by practice or use of various aspects of the methodologies,instrumentalities and combinations set forth in the detailed examplesdiscussed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord withthe present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation.In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similarelements.

FIG. 1 is a layered logical block diagram with arrows representing stepsof a sample logical flow, for an application client to access a specificmanaged application service, in a gateway device-service managementcenter type network configuration.

FIG. 2 depicts the managed application services delivery platform.

FIG. 3 is a network diagram, depicting a gateway device, endpointdevices at the user premises, one or more wide area networks and aservice management center.

FIGS. 4A-4D depict the software and hardware architectures of themulti-services applications gateway device.

FIG. 5 depicts the networked operations services support infrastructureof a network implementation of the service management center, fordelivering service capabilities to the multi-services applicationsgateway device of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate aspects of an initialization technique forestablishing a gateway device's connection to and enabling communicationwith the service management center network.

FIGS. 7A-7F depict more detailed interactions for functions and servicesto illustrate the core network elements of the service managementcenter.

FIGS. 8A-8E depict exemplary call flow diagrams detailing TCP controlchannel setup, subscription and software updates regarding provisioningfor a gateway device.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate details of service provisioning.

FIG. 10 is a layered logical block diagram of one possible configurationfor service delivery to a client of an application within a userpremises based on a typical current network architecture.

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, but overlaid with arrows to show a sampleflow of logical steps taken by an Application Client to access aspecific managed Application Services in the typical current networkconfiguration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent to those skilledin the art that the present teachings may be practiced without suchdetails. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components,and circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, withoutdetail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the presentteachings.

The various technologies disclosed herein move application servicelogic, formerly resident in a network node, into a gateway device in thecustomer premises. The gateway device is implemented in such a manner asto offer its user many of the applications services, such as werepreviously offered from network side servers, from the user premises. Asfurther described below, these application services comprise, by way ofexample, programming to simplify support services in the digital homeincluding one or more of: media delivery, content management, accesscontrol and use tracking, file sharing, and protection and back-upservices of both Internet/Web-generated digital media content and usergenerated digital media content. The novel gateway device is programmedto simplify various aspects of managing the emerging home/businessdigital networks including the myriad of interconnected digital endpointdevices associated with the gateway device. It is important to note thatthe endpoint devices need not reside within, or be located at, thepremises to maintain their association with the gateway device.

Therefore, although based on a Client-Server architecture, the exemplarygateway device and service management center move substantial functionsperformed by the typical network server into the user premises byincorporating those functions into the gateway device, but in a way thatallows for the server functionality to be externally managed by theservice management center from the network side, which may be operatedby a third-party service provider. In this novel architecture, both theserver functionality and the application services, which can be voicecontrolled, offered via the gateway device may be managed by the servicemanagement center. Moreover, the server function residing in the gatewaydevice is not only located in the premises but it now resides logicallyon the premises side of the Network Service Provider demarcation.

The gateway device and the system architecture effectively place a setof application services on a tightly coupled (e.g. always-on oralways-available basis), secure hardware platform that is externallymanaged. The gateway device comprises application services programming,and associated hardware, that is positioned on the user premises side ofthe Network Service Provider Demarcation, which is configured to bemanaged by an external service management center.

Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and discussed below. FIG. 1 is a high-leveldiagram of the architecture of the gateway-service management centernetwork as disclosed herein, as well as the logical flow of how aspecific Application Client residing at a User Premises could interactwith an Application Service in a gateway device that is being managed inthe gateway-service management center network configuration. Heretofore,as described above, many application services that form part of theApplication Service Delivery Platform were logically positioned at theAS Layer but on the network side of the Network Service ProviderDemarcation. FIG. 1 shows that, in the novel architecture, many of theseapplication services that were previously offered from network-sideservers have now been moved across the Network Service ProviderDemarcation and now logically reside at the AS Layer in the UserPremises Network, i.e., on the hardware components located in the userpremises, such as, by example, a gateway device. In particular, theprogramming that implements application services is logically positionedon the user premises side of the Network Service Provider Demarcation.The application service on the user premises side that enforcesauthorization, authentication, configuration, or use of the respectiveservice via an endpoint device is logically depicted in FIG. 1 as theASE module in the AS Layer of the User Premises Network. The ASE modulemay also communicate via the wide area network with the ASM logicresiding in the service management center.

FIG. 1 depicts an approach in which the ASL and the ASE functions havemoved to the User Premises side (compare to FIGS. 10 and 11 discussedabove). As discussed more below, the ASL and the ASE functions areimplemented as high-level server type logic within a home gateway deviceat a user premises. Other elements shown in FIG. 1 that may reside inthe user premises gateway device include the user-premises-side networkfunction or NF (switch, router or bridge) and the LAN termination forcommunication with the endpoint devices implementing the applicationclient functions. Thus, with reference to FIG. 1, the first interface,as described above, for enabling bi-directional network layercommunications on the user's side of the premises with one or more ofthe associated endpoint devices resides at the NI Layer and provides theLAN Termination referenced therein. FIG. 1 also depicts the WANtermination providing connectivity to the wide area network(network-side NF—Internet or private wide area data network). Thegateway device's second interface, as described above, for enablingbi-directional network layer communications for the associated endpointdevices via a wide area network resides at the NI Layer and provides theWAN Termination referenced therein. The gateway device's secondinterface also enables bi-directional communications between it and theservice management center via the WAN.

With reference to FIG. 1, the core of the logical capacities of theservice management center resides on the Service Provider Network, andis depicted as the Application Service Management (ASM) portion of theApplication Service Delivery Platform in the AS Layer. The ASM functionis implemented in the service management center, which is external tothe user premises, and, perforce, on the network side of the demarcationline. The ASL and ASE functions maintain logical connectivity orinteraction with the Application Service Management (ASM) function inthe service management center, typically via communication through awide area network. This logical connectivity is established through analways-on (or on an as needed, periodic basis), secure communicationchannel between the User Premises AS Layer (ASL and ASE) and the ServiceProvider AS Layer (ASM) at the service management center. The servicemanagement center and the communications of the center with one or moreof the gateway devices provides an infrastructure support and/ormanagement of the application services offered to endpoint devices andtheir users by the logic implemented in the gateway device(s).Effectively, the ASD, considered in its entirety, extends all the way tothe User Premises and traverses the Network and Network Service ProviderDemarcation. The secure communications channel is established throughthe NF Layer and the NI layer.

The examples discussed herein also introduce a logical platformmanagement layer to the user premises-side, which allows for inter-layerallocation of local resources. This function guarantees access betweenthe Application Service Logic function on the user premises network andthe applications service management function in the service managementcenter by assuring that the local user premises hardware and softwaremodules are functioning at a required state (CPU and memory usage,bandwidth usage, QoS settings, etc.) in order for the ASL to have thenecessary resources to establish its required communications path to theASM.

The platform manager is also responsible for implementing that part ofthe managed application services to be performed by the gateway device.In that regard, the platform manager secures and manages the overallhardware platform, given that in this scenario, the NF layer and the ASlayer reside on one hardware platform. This secure hardware platformprovides a robust and secure operating environment for the AS Layer. So,to establish a secure and robust hardware operating environment, theplatform manager must interface with all the layers above it and allowfor bi-directional management information flow among all of thefunctions. For example, if the Application Client is a telephonyapplication and the desired application is call processing, theapplication must first connect to the LAN termination interface (1).Then a connection must be established to the AS Layer through the NFlayer (2). At this point the platform manager determines if there aresufficient resources available for this to take place on the routing andswitching modules and if there is not sufficient resources on either theLAN Termination interface or the NF layer functions, it would take thenecessary corrective measure to free up the required resources so thatthe application can execute properly (e.g. prioritize packets, throttlebandwidth, attempt to reduce noise on an RF interface, or free up timeslices on a TDMA interface such as MoCA). Once that is done, theconnection is established to the AS Layer (3), where the ASE and ASL,having been updated by the ASM in the network, respond instantaneouslyto the Application Client, completing the service request.

Application services represent functionalities, implemented in thehigher layer(s) of the protocol or logical stack above the networklayer(s) that may extend up to the top application layer (layer 7 of theOSI model). An application service, for example, provides applicationserver communication with a client functionality of one or more endpointdevices, for the respective service, communicated on top of networklayer communications through the interfaces. In the examples, theservices are provided on a subscription service basis to users at thepremises. Hence, the application service logic provides enforcementregarding authorization, authentication, configuration, and/or use ofthe respective service via the endpoint devices. The application serviceincludes service and feature functions, implemented and controlled bythe application service logic. Management of the application service isbased on communications with the service management center via the widearea network.

The illustrated architecture of the gateway device-service managementcenter network enables other features and capabilities that have notpreviously been available to the user. For instance, peer-to-peerapplication communication between or among gateways is possible withoutthe need to go through, or utilize resources at, an external servicemanagement center. Communications through the service management centerare also possible. In addition, given the considerable functionalitypresent in the gateway device, and its ability to manage the variousendpoint devices associated with it (as explained below), the userinterface with the gateway can be presented and utilized on the home TV.Additionally, information from other endpoint devices, such as the PC,network sources (such as an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) service),may now be overlaid on the TV screen so that, for example, PC messages,or weather information, can be viewed on the TV screen, and thefunctionality of the PC (or other home networked endpoint devices) canbe accessed from the TV screen.

FIG. 2 depicts, at the Physical/Network layer shown therein, an exampleof user premises hardware components required for delivering dataservices (i.e. Internet connectivity) along with a separate,non-integrated managed hardware used in delivering a set of managedapplication services (i.e. IP telephony). The Network Service ProviderWide Area Network Termination Apparatus (NSP-TA) allows for a typicaltermination of Wide Area Network Services, such as DSL, Cable, Fiber,etc, by a network services provider. The NSP-TA provides the WANTermination in the NI Layer (FIG. 1). The NSP-TA may be an existinguser-premises device, provided by the carrier supplying network servicesto the premises. FIG. 2 also depicts the Network Service ProviderDemarcation at the hardware level.

If configured as a standalone device, the NSP-TA device is required tohave its own CPU, Memory, physical interfaces and logic control. Inorder for Network Service Providers to deliver managed services, theytypically require a management element controlled by the CPU on theNSP-TA. To depict these logical elements residing on the hardwarecomponents, FIG. 2 includes an Application/Services Layer above thehardware layer. This layer corresponds to the AS Layer of FIG. 1, butwithout reference to any logical elements residing at the networkservices provider. The management element, represented by the NetworkService Provider Managed Application, allows the network serviceprovider to determine the status of the network hardware device andinterfaces as well as maintain a certain degree of security enforcementat the customer premises. As noted, the network service functionality isat the NI and NF Layers and generally does not extend to the AS Layer(s)beyond basic authentication authorization and state management. As withthe hardware components, the logical elements also have a NetworkService Provider Demarcation as shown in FIG. 2. On the WAN side,depicted as the Network Service Provider Managed Applications side, ofthe Network Service Provider Demarcation, resides the applications thatare managed, and under the exclusive control, of the network serviceprovider (the Network Service Provider Logic). The User Interface toManaged Applications is present on the LAN side of the Network ServiceProvider Demarcation within the Application/Services Layer. Within thisinterface resides programming and logic available to users other thanthe network service provider referred to as the Network User ControlledLogic. The Network. User Controlled Logic, which is depicted at theApplication/Services Layer in FIG. 2, provides a user interface to theNetwork Service Provider Logic and, to the extent permitted by theNetwork Service Provider Logic, interaction with or communicationbetween the user and network service provider through the Network UserControlled Logic and the Network Service Provider Logic, and to theNSP-TA hardware components. The Network User Controlled Logic allows forthe User of the hardware to make certain, minimal programming changesrelevant to their preferences (e.g., user name and password changes,local IP addresses changes, local interface selection). All user devicestypically can only communicate with the NSP-TA through one or more ofthe User Premises Network Interfaces. The user can modify the NetworkUser Controlled Logic through the User Premises Network Interface. TheNetwork Service Provider Demarcation is typically within the NSP-TA,logically dividing the Network Service Provider Interface and the UserPremises Network Interface modules. The network service provider doesnot have any in depth visibility or significant responsibility beyondthe Network Service Provider Demarcation.

The User Network and Application Delivery Apparatus (UNA-DA), shown onthe right hand side of FIG. 2, is a separate managed gateway device thata managed service provider (which may be different than the networkservice provider) would control in delivering a set of applicationservices to the user premises. This device is required to have its owndedicated CPU, memory, logic control, as well as its own dedicated setof interfaces. The UNA-DA includes one or more Network Interfacesproviding connectivity to the NSP-TA as well as to user premisesendpoint devices. The interfaces provide the LAN Terminationfunctionality at the NI Layer (FIG. 1). One skilled in the art willreadily recognize, however, that the physical connection that connectsthe UNA-DA to the NSP-TA also provides connectivity for the UNA-DA tothe public (WAN side) network, and is the means by which the UNA-DAaccesses the public network. The end point devices connected to the LANInterface are on the private (LAN) side of that interface. The UNA-DAalso includes a switch, router or bridge for the NF Layer.

Programming elements of the UNA-DA are depicted at theApplication/Services Layer of the UNA-DA. Certain logical elements,depicted as the Application Service Provider Managed Applications andPlatform in FIG. 2, on which resides, inter alfa, the programmingcorresponding to the ASL and ASE of FIG. 1, are managed by the managedapplication service provider's network control center, e.g. by the ASMthrough a wide area network (WAN) by means of a control channel to theApplication Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform. TheApplication Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform includesa platform management logic module that, with other programming in thePlatform and the ASM, allows the managed application service provider tocontrol the hardware elements of the UNA-DA in addition to any otherrelevant application services logic or hardware that may reside on theuser premises. For example, this programming enables managed applicationservice provider to control and manage the hardware elements on theUNA-DA to ensure proper use and allocation of the UNA-DA's processing,memory, storage, and bandwidth, to monitor local hardware security andgenerate needed alarms or protection sequences, and to prioritizeapplications based on a set of established policies. The user would havecontrol over specific parameters of the UNA-DA through the UserInterface and Platform to Managed Applications (User Controlled Logic)shown in FIG. 2. These parameters allow the user to control the localbehavior of the interfaces and to configure the specific applications toaccommodate the user network as configured by the user and to implementthe user preferences for those applications.

To identify the separation of, and distinguish between, the programmingand hardware components subject to control by the managed serviceprovider and those subject to control by the user premises, FIG. 2identifies a dividing line across the logical elements of the UNA-DA,and a corresponding dividing line across hardware components, referredto as the Applications Service Provider Demarcation. The ApplicationsService Provider Demarcation is flexible in that it may extend logicallythrough the Application Services Interface (and, in a hardware context,through the Network Interface) to other devices that are under thelogical control of the Application Services Provider ManagedApplications and Platform, given that “services” are not restricted to aspecific hardware boundary.

There is no hard requirement for cross management between the UNDA-DAand the NSP-TA. Under this first scenario the user is responsible formaking the configuration changes in the specific user controlled logicmodules in order to get the two devices to Communicate with each other.Optionally the two sub-systems can be combined together, eitherphysically in one hardware device, or logically as two separate hardwaredevices, but having one user managed interface.

The two hardware regimes described above (NSP-TA and the UNA-DA) may becombined into one managed hardware platform and, thereby, replace theneed for the user to have access to the User Premises Network Interfacewith the logic residing in the Platform Management logic module of theApplication Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform (compareto above-discussed FIG. 12). This would in effect replace the “user”access with a managed “machine” access, for aspects of the NSP-TA, aswell as aspects of the application services offered through the UNA-DA.Thus, the combination creates an integral gateway device providing bothnetwork service and application services, under centralized management.Although integrated, network interconnect functions of the NSP-TA maystill be managed by the network service provider, as in the example ofFIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will readily see additionalcombinations and configurations for the hardware comprising the NSP-TAand the UNA-DA. For example, in a further embodiment, all the hardwarededicated to the Network Service Provider Interface may reside and beintegral with the hardware comprising the UNA-DA. Thus, the hardware forthe WAN interface may reside on the UNA-DA.

It may be helpful now to consider more detailed examples of the gatewaydevice-service management center network.

Gateway Device and Service Management Center Elements—Overview

Those skilled in the art will recognize that functions of the servicemanagement center, which reside in the Application Service Managementnode on the Service Provider Network, as depicted in FIG. 1, may beimplemented in a variety of different ways, on one or more computerhardware platforms connected to the gateway devices via a wide areanetwork. FIG. 3 depicts an example wherein the implementation is onInternet or other wide area IP network 99. The example uses adistributed processing approach, in which the elements/platformsimplementing the service management center are interconnected forcommunication and for wide area communication, and in this way, thoseelements form a network 50 for implementing the service managementcenter.

As shown in FIG. 3, the service management center network, through thelogical capabilities earlier depicted in FIG. 1 as the ASM module of theASD Platform at the AS Layer, manages application services for a numberof gateway devices 10, 10.sub.1 . . . 10.sub.n located at various users'premises. These application services, shown as ASL and ASE in FIG. 1,implement their functionality within the Application Services Layer(FIG. 1), through programming that at least in part, within, theApplication Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform of theUNA-DA (FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, secure connectivity to the servicemanagement center network 50 is provided, in one embodiment, via a WANTermination interface, such as Ethernet WAN 53 over a broadbandconnection via the public Internet 99, or, for example, via a wirelessEvDO (Evolution Data Optimized) Internet data interface embodied as aPCMCIA (personal computer memory) wireless card 56. When the WANTermination interface 53 is used, for example, it may provideconnectivity to a broadband modem serving as the NSP-TA of FIG. 2,either as a separate unit or on a board included within the gatewaydevice 10. If the wireless WAN interface is used, there may be nophysical NSP-TA device, and the logic of the gateway device wouldimplement functions of the NSP-TA as well.

As will be described in greater detail herein below, the servicemanagement center 50 generally provides a communications and processinginfrastructure for supporting the variety of application services andrelated communications residing at the gateway devices 10, 10.sub.1 . .. 10.sub.n. In an exemplary embodiment, this infrastructure may beconfigured to provide a secure environment and may be IP-based.Preferably, this support architecture is designed for high availability,redundancy, and cost-effective scaling.

The secure platform for building and providing multiple applicationservices for digital endpoints associated with a gateway device requiresconnectivity between the gateway device 10 and each of a user's devices(referred interchangeably herein as “endpoint devices” or “digitalendpoint devices”). This connectivity may be provided by implementationof one or more USB ports (interfaces) 13, a wired Local Area Networkconnection such as provided by an Ethernet local area network (LAN)interface 16, or, a wireless network interface via a WiFi LAN accesspoint 62 provided, for example, in accordance with the I.E.E.E.802.11b/g/n wireless or wireless network communications standard. Thesephysical interfaces provide the required network interconnectivity forthe endpoint devices to connect to the multiple application services.Although not shown in FIG. 3, this connectivity between digital endpointdevices and the gateway device may be accomplished by other means,including, by way of example, through of a virtual private area networkconnection accessed through a WAN interface.

That is, the gateway device 10 interfaces with digital endpoint devicesincluding, but not limited to: a home automation networking device 20(e.g. X10, Z-Wave or ZigBee) for wired or wireless home networkautomation and control of networked home devices such as a switchcontroller 22, sensor devices 23, automatically controlled window blinds24, a controlled lighting or lamp unit 25 etc, individual or wired orwireless network of personal computing (PC) and laptop/mobile devices 30a, . . . , 30 c that serve as file sources, control points and hosts forvarious other client endpoints, one or more television display devices32 including associated set top boxes (STB) 35 a or digital mediaadapters (DMA) 35 b, one or more VoIP phone devices (e.g. SIP phones)40, or other devices (not shown) that convert IP interfaces to PSTN FXOand FXS interfaces.

As noted earlier, the gateway device 10 may provide an interface 35 b tothe Digital Media Adapter (DMA) for television (TV) 32, which enablesbidirectional wireline or wireless communication. This interfacesupports several functions for multiple services including, but notlimited to: media (e.g., video and music) by enabling the transfer ofmedia (e.g., video and music) to the TV; voice services, by providingfor Called Line ID and for voice mail control; and provide HomeAutomation Services including status and control of networked homeautomation devices. The DMA element 35 b converts audio and video(optionally) to a format suitable for a TV. In addition, the DigitalMedia Adapter 35 b may be capable of receiving context-sensitivecommands from a remote control device (not shown) and forwarding thosecommands to the gateway device 10. This enables the use of menus on theTV 32 for controlling application services and various featuresfunctions thereof, as offered by the gateway device 10. For example, theMedia Adapter/TV combination is able to provide the following featuresincluding, but not limited to: display of media; media controlfunctions, when enabled (FF, REW, STOP, PAUSE, etc); display of CallingLine Identification (CLID); control of voicemail; picture viewing;control of home automation; and user functions for the gateway device10.

A Set Top Box 35 a as shown in FIG. 3 also may handle media formatconversion (for example NTSC to ATSC television RF signals), digitaldecryption and other DRM (digital rights management) functions, andVideo On Demand Purchases, etc. The Set Top Box/TV combination may thusenable, by way of example: Media format conversion (for example NTSC toATSC); decryption; other DRM functions (such as expiry of leases),prohibition of copying to digital outputs, function restriction, etc.;Video On Demand Purchases; and media control functions (e.g., FF, REW,STOP, PAUSE, etc.).

Whether provided by the DMA interface 35 b and the TV 32 or by the settop box 35 a and the TV 32, the communications to and from the TVprovide a user interface for interaction with the gateway device 10. Theprogramming of the gateway device supports, among other things, agraphical user interface (GUI) via the TV, sometimes referred to as the“ten-foot” interface.

With respect to PCs interfacing with the gateway device 10, PCs mayserve as, among other things, file sources, control points and hosts forvarious software clients. Thus, the PC programming may work inconjunction with the ASL and ASE programming of the gateway device.Together, the PC programming and the ASL and ASE programming provide amore comprehensive and robust user experience. The gateway device 10 mayfurther provide a bidirectional wireline or wireless interface 35 c to aPC device 306 for supporting the transfer of media (e.g., video andmusic) to the computer for storage and viewing; for supporting voiceservices, e.g., by providing for calls from SIP soft clients; for filesharing, file back-up and home storage and home automation controlfunctions. The access point 62 offers wireless data communications witha PC 30 c. The gateway device interface through any PC may provide forthe bidirectional moving of files, and status and control for theendpoint devices, including for example, status and control of networkedhome automation devices. In addition, using the PC interface, users may,for example, share files on the gateway devices, back-up or transferfiles to the gateway devices or other storage; access personal page fornotifications, RSS, shared photos, voicemail, etc. In addition to the IMand SIP capabilities of the gateway device, as described more below, PCsmay also serve as a host for IM and SIP soft phone clients and otherclient devices. The client-server interaction of the PC with theapplication service logic of the gateway device 10 offers an alternativeGUI for at least some of the services. The PC based GUI is sometimesreferred to as the “two-foot” interface.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, other digital endpoint devices for whichconnectivity may be established with the gateway device 10 include, butare not limited to: personal music or media players, hi-fi audioequipment with media streaming capability, game stations, Internet radiodevices, WiFi phones, WiFi or other wirelessly enabled digital cameras,facsimile machines, electronic picture frames, health monitors (sensorand monitoring devices), etc.

As described in greater detail herein, the gateway device 10 includesboth a hardware and software infrastructure that enables a bridging ofthe WAN and LAN networks, e.g. a proxy function, such that control ofany digital endpoint device at the premises from the same or remotelocation is possible via the gateway device 10 using, optionally, asecure peer and presence type messaging infrastructure or othercommunications protocols, e.g., HTTPS. For example, via any IM-capabledevice or client 80 a, 80 b respectively connected with an InstantMessaging (IM) or XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol)network messaging infrastructure, e.g. IM networks 99 a, 99 b such asprovided by Yahoo, Microsoft (MSN), Skype, America Online, ICQ, and thelike, shown for purposes of illustration in FIG. 3, a user may accessany type of functionality at a subordinate digital endpoint device atthe premises via the gateway device 10 and service management center 50by simple use of peer and presence messaging protocols. In one exemplaryembodiment, a peer and presence communications protocol may be used suchas Jabber and/or XMPP. Particularly, Jabber is a set of streaming XMLprotocols and technologies that enable any two entities on the Internetto exchange messages, presence, and other structured information inclose to real time. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) hasformalized the core XML streaming protocols as an approved instantmessaging and presence technology under the name of XMPP (ExtensibleMessaging and Presence Protocol), the XMPP specifications of which areincorporated by reference herein as IETF RFC 3920 and RFC 3921. Thus,the gateway device is provided with functionality for enabling a user toremotely tap into and initiate functionality of a digital endpointdevice or application at the premises via the IM-based messagingframework. In addition, the gateway device 10 and network connectivityto the novel service management center 50, provides, in a preferredembodiment, a secure peer and presence messaging framework, enablingreal-time communications among peers via other gateway devices 10 ₁ . .. 10 _(n). For instance, the device 10 provides the ability to constructcommunication paths between peers with formal communications exchangesavailable between, for example, one gateway device 10 ₁ at a firstpremises and a second gateway device 10 _(n) located at the remotepremises. Thus, such an infrastructure provides for content addressing,enabling peers through remote gateway devices 10 ₁ . . . 10 _(n) tosupply and request content such as files, media content or otherresources of interest to a community of interest.

As noted above, the novel system architecture allocates the logicalfunctionality of the ASD Platform (FIG. 1) between the gateway device 10and the service management center 50 within an environment that enablescommunication and feedback at the AS Layer (FIG. 1) between the gatewaydevice 10 and service management center 50. Thus, the gateway device 10,when operable with the service management center 50, makes possible themanagement of services for the digital home and facilitates the easyaddition of new services or modification of existing services. Suchservices may include, for example, facility management (homeautomation), media content downloading and Digital Rights Management(DRM), device updates, data backups, file sharing, media downloading andtransmission, etc., without the intermediary of a plurality of externalservice providers who may typically provide these individual servicesfor every digital endpoint device in the home or premises. Theprogramming for these services resides in the Application ServiceProvider Managed Applications and Platform of the UNA-DA (FIG. 2). Thatis, as earlier shown, the gateway device 10 is integrated with hardwareand software modules and respective interfaces that handle all aspectsof home automation and digital endpoint service and management for thehome in a manner without having to rely on external service providersand, in a manner that is essentially seamless to the user. This,advantageously is provided by the service management center 50 which isable to access regions of the gateway device 10 that are not accessibleto the user, e.g. for controlling the transport and storing of digitalcontent and downloading and enabling service applications and upgradesand providing largely invisible support for many tasks performed byusers.

For example, with the robust capabilities of the Application ServiceProvider Managed Applications and Platform (FIG. 2), the gateway device10 is capable of handling all aspects of the digital homecommunications, e.g. IP, voice, VoIP, phone connectivity. In thisexample, the service logic located and stored at the gateway device 10may provide soft-switch functionality for implementing call-processingfeatures at the premises (rather than the network) for voicecommunications, and enabling management of other service features to bedescribed. With the provision of central office type call services andother service features provided at the gateway devices 10.sub.1 . . .10.sub.n, a distributed soft-switch architecture is built. The ASMlogical functionality of the service management center 50, incooperation with the ASE logical functionality of the gateway device,may, among other things, provide, manage and regulate, for example,service subscription/registration, authentication/verification, keymanagement, and billing aspects of service provision, etc. With all ofthe service logic and intelligence residing at the gateway device aservice provider can offer customers a broad spectrum of servicesincluding, but not limited to: media services, voice services, e.g.VoIP, automated file backup services, file sharing, digital photomanagement and sharing, gaming, parental controls, home networking, andother features and functions within the home or premises (e.g. homemonitoring and control). Users can access their content and many of thesolution's features remotely. Moreover, software updates for the in-homedevices that require updating are handled in an automated fashion by thesystem infrastructure. The service management center infrastructureadditionally provides a web interface for third-party service providersto round out the service solutions provided at the gateway device forthe premises. For example, a third-party service provider other than themanaged service provider associated with the service management centermay be allowed access through the infrastructure to particular endpointdevices to provide additional services such trouble shooting, repair andupdate services.

Gateway Device Software and Hardware Architecture

The composition of the premises gateway device 10, earlier describedwith reference to FIG. 2, is now described in greater detail withreference to FIGS. 4A-4D. As shown in FIG. 4A, the gateway device 10utilizes a layered architecture 100, which enables the encapsulation ofsimilar functionality and the minimization of dependencies betweenfunctions in different layers. FIGS. 4B and 4C depict exemplaryfunctionality (hardware and logical) resident in, or corresponding to,each of the layers shown in FIG. 4A. The layers include a hardware layer102, and device driver software 104 for allowing the processor tooperate other hardware elements of the gateway device 10. FIG. 4D is afunctional block diagram illustrating interconnection of exemplaryelements of the hardware layer 102. The logical elements of the NI Layerresiding on the gateway device 10 (FIG. 3) are found in the HardwareDrivers 104 which govern the operation of the Hardware Components 102.The processor runs an operating system shown at layer 106, which plays arole in each of the NI, NF, AS and Platform Management Layers (FIG. 1).The layered architecture 100 also includes software for systems services108 and for the platform management layer shown at 110 in this drawing.Logical elements represented by the NF Layer depicted in FIG. 1 arecomprised of elements from the system services 108 of FIG. 3. In asimilar fashion, the Platform Management Layer depicted in FIG. 1 isimplemented in the exemplary architecture of FIGS. 4A-4D by the platformmodules 109 and the platform management layer 110.

Particular logical elements comprising the ASL and ASE functionalitiesof the AS Layer represented in FIG. 1, and that reside on the gatewaydevice 10 (predominately in the Application Service Provider ManagedApplications and Platform of the UNA-DA shown in FIG. 2) are depicted,in FIG. 4C, and comprise logical elements from each of servicesframework 120 and application services 130. The layered architecture inFIG. 4C facilitates reuse or sharing of logic across the layers toprovide a managed service framework 120. The service managementfunctionality provided by the framework 120 enables deployment of newservices as pluggable modules comprising computer readable instructions,data structures, program modules, objects, and other configuration data,in a plug and play fashion. The layered service architecture 100additionally provides the gateway device 10 with intra-processcommunication and inter-process communication amongst the many servicesand modules in the service framework layer 120 that enables theprovisioning, management and execution of many applications and services130, depicted e.g. services A, B . . . N at the gateway device 10.Additionally provided are the application service interfaces 140 thatenable communications from user endpoint devices with serviceenvironments. In that regard, the interfaces 140 enable the applicationservice logic 130 to act as an appropriate server with respect to clientdevice application or service functionality of the endpoint devices. Theapplication service interfaces 140 also enable corresponding interfacesfor the application services with aspects of service environmentsimplemented outside the user premises. In that regard, the interfaces140 enable the application service logic 130 to act as an appropriateclient, for extending the application or service related communicationsto a server accessed via the wide area network 99, such as a server ofthe service management center 50. For example, the gateway device mayappear as a SIP server to a SIP client in an end point device, e.g. fora VoIP telephone service; but the gateway device will appear as a SIPclient with respect to some related functions provided by a server (suchas a SIP directory server) provided by the service management center 50.

FIG. 4A thus depicts a high level service framework upon which are builtservices, e.g. downloaded via the service management center network 50and wide area network 99 as packages that are developed and offered by aservice entity for customers. These services may be offered as a part ofa default service package provisioned and configured at the gatewaydevice 10, or provisioned and configured subject to user subscriptionand may be added time as plug-in service modules in cooperation with theservice management center 50. It is understood however, that while thegateway device 10 includes much of the intelligence or service logic forproviding various services, it is also possible that for some services,some or all of service logic may reside in the service management centernetwork and/or with a third party provider.

As shown in more detail in FIGS. 4B and 4D, the base support layer 102comprises hardware components including a processor device 152, e.g. asystem on chip central processing unit (“CPU”) that includes processingelements, digital signal processor resources and memory. The CPU 152 isalso coupled to a random access memory (“RAM”) and additionally,non-volatile hard drive/disk magnetic and/or optical disk memory storage154. Generally, the above-identified computer readable media providenon-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, objects, service configuration data and other data foruse by the gateway device. The non-volatile hard drive/disk magneticand/or optical disk memory storage 154 may be partitioned into a networkside which is the repository for storing all of the service logic anddata associated with executing services subscribed to by the user, and,is invisible to the user, and, a user side for storing user generatedcontent and applications in which the user has visibility. Although notshown, the CPU 152 may be coupled to a microcontroller for controlling adisplay device.

Additional hardware components include one or more Ethernet LAN and WANinterface cards 155, 156 (e.g. 802.11, T1, T3, 56 kb, X.25, DSL or xDSL)which may include broadband connections (e.g. ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM,Gigabit Ethernet, Ethernet over SONET, etc.), wireless connections, orsome combination of any or all of the above. The card 155 referred to asthe LAN interface card provides data communication connectivity withinthe user premises, essentially, for communication via a user premisesnetwork 60 with any endpoint devices operating within the premises. Thecard 156 referred to as the WAN interface card provides datacommunication connectivity for the gateway device 10 and endpointdevices communicating through the device 10, with the wide area IPnetwork 99. For additional or alternative customer premisescommunications, the hardware components 102 may also include one or moreUSB interfaces 158; and for additional or alternative communicationswith the wide area network, the hardware components may also include thePCMCIA EvDO interface card 160.

A data encryption/decryption unit 162 is additionally provided as partof the architecture for providing data security features. A watchdogtimer element or like timer reset element 164 is provided as is one ormore LED devices 166 for indicating status and other usable informationto users of the gateway device 10.

As mentioned above, the gateway device provides an in-premises footprintenabling the service connectivity and local management to client(s). Theimplementation of functions and the related control such as a router(with quality of service (QoS)), firewall, VoIP gateway, voice servicesand voice mail may be embodied and performed within the CPU 152.

The discussion of the gateway hardware layer above and the illustrationthereof in the drawings provides a high-level functional disclosure ofan example of the hardware that may be used in the gateway device. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that the gateway device may utilizeother hardware platforms or configurations.

Continuing, as shown in FIG. 4B, the device driver layer 104 comprises amultitude of driver interfaces including but not limited to: a PCMCIAdriver 104 a, for enabling low level communication between the gatewayCPU 152 and the PCMCIA network interface card wireless interface, an IDEdriver 104 b for enabling low level communication between the gatewayCPU 152 and the local mass memory storage element, and LAN/WAN drivers104 c for enabling low level communication between the gateway CPU 152and the respective network interface cards 155 and 156. The exemplarydriver layer also includes an LED driver/controller 104 d for drivingLED(s) 166, a USB driver 104 e allowing CPU 152 to communicate via USBinterface 158, and an 802.11b/g (or n) wireless network driver 104 f forallowing the CPU 152 to communicate via the access point 62. The driversprovide the logical connectivity between the low level hardware devices102 and the operating system 106 which controls the execution ofcomputer programs and provides scheduling, input-output control, fileand data management, memory management, and communication control andrelated services for the gateway device. With respect to the operatingsystem 106, the gateway computing may support any embedded operatingsystem, any real-time operating system, any open source operatingsystem, any proprietary operating system, or even any operating systemsfor mobile computing devices as long as the operational needs of theclient discussed herein below can be met. Exemplary operating systemsthat may be employed include Windows®, Macintosh®, Linux or UNIX or evenan embedded Linux operating system. For instance, the gateway device 10may be advantageously provided with an embedded operating system 106that provides operating system functions such as multiple threads,first-in first-out or round robin scheduling, semaphores, mutexes,condition variables, message queues, etc.

Built upon the system operating system 106 is a system services supportlayer 108 providing both client-like and server-like functions thatenable a wide range of functionality for the types of services capableof being managed by the gateway device 10. For instance, there isprovided a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client and serversoftware modules. The DHCP client particularly requests via a UDP/IP(User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (e.g. Ipv4, Ipv6, etc.)configured connection information such as the IP address that thegateway device 10 has been dynamically assigned by a DHCP service (notshown), and/or any the subnet mask information, the gateway deviceshould be using. The DHCP server dynamically assigns or allocatesnetwork IP addresses to subordinate client endpoints on a leased, e.g.timed basis. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) client may communicate viaa proxy server in the service control network 50, according to a VPNprotocol or some other tunneling or encapsulation protocol. An SMPTclient handles incoming/outgoing email over TCP, in accordance with theSimple Mail Transfer protocol. A Network Time Protocol (NTP) (RFC 1305)generates and correlates timestamps for network events and generallyprovides time synchronization and distribution for the Internet. ADomain Name Server (DNS) client and server combination are used by theIP stack to resolve fully-qualified host or symbolic names, i.e. mappinghost names to IP addresses.

An HTTP(S) server handles secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)(Secure Sockets Layer) communications and provides a set of rules forexchanges between a browser client and a server over TCP. It providesfor the transfer of information such as hypertext and hypermedia, andfor the recognition of file types. HTTP provides stateless transactionsbetween the client and server.

A Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client and server combinationgoverns the ability for file transfer over TCP. A SAMBA server is anopen source program providing Common Internet Files Services (CIFS)including, but not limited to file and print services, authenticationand authorization, name resolution, and service announcement (browsing).An EvDO/PPP driver includes a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) daemonconfiguration for wireless broadband services. A PPPoE (Point-to-PointProtocol over Ethernet) client combines the Point-to-Point Protocol(PPP), commonly used in dialup connections, with the Ethernet protocol;and it supports and provides authentication and management of multiplebroadband subscribers in a local area network without any specialsupport required from either the telephone company or an Internetservice provider (ISP). The gateway device 10 is thus adapted forconnecting multiple computer users on an Ethernet local area network toa remote site through the gateway and can be used to enable all users ofan office or home to share a common Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), cablemodem, or wireless connection to the Internet. A Secure Shell or SSHserver implemented with HTTP protocol provides network protocolfunctionality adapted for establishing a secure channel between a localand a remote computer and encrypts traffic between secure devices byusing public-key cryptography to authenticate the remote computer and(optionally) to allow the remote computer to authenticate the user.

Additionally provided as part of the system services layer 108 isintelligent routing capability provided by an intelligent router device185 that provides Quality of Service (QoS, guaranteed bandwidth)intelligent routing services, for example, by enforcing routing protocolrules and supporting unlimited multiple input sources and unlimitedmultiple destinations and, particularly, for routing communications tonetworked digital endpoint devices subordinate to the gateway. A centraldatabase server 183 handles all of the database aspects of the system.For example, the database server 183 maintains and updates registriesand status of connected digital endpoint devices, maintains and updatesservice configuration data, services specific data (e.g. indexes ofbacked-up files, other service specific indexes, metadata related tomedia services, etc.) and firmware configurations for the devices. Thedatabase server 183 may also store billing and transaction detailrecords and performance diagnostics. The database server logic 183 alsosatisfies all other database storage needs as will be described ingreater detail herein.

Referring back to FIGS. 4A and 4B, built on top of the system serviceslayer 108 is the platform module layer 109. The platform module layer109 provides a software framework for operating system andcommunications level platform functionality such as CPU management;Timer management; memory management functions; a firewall; a web wallfor providing seamless WWW access over visual displays via accesstechnologies enumerated herein, e.g. HTTP, SMS (Short Messaging Service)and WAP (Wireless Access Protocol); QoS management features, bandwidthmanagement features, and, hard disk drive management features. Thelayered architecture 100 further provides a platform management layer110 as shown in FIG. 4C, which together with the platform modules 109implement the platform management layer/logic discussed earlier (withregard to FIG. 1).

The features/functions in the layer 110 include a platform managermodule which will implement unique rules based notification services. Onoperational failure, for example, when one of the components or servicesfails, the platform manager would detect this failure and takeappropriate action such as implement a sequence of rules to providenotification to a user. A scheduler module manages scheduled devicemaintenance, managing scheduled services, e.g. back-up services, etc.The layer 110 also includes a diagnostics module and a firmware upgradesmanagement module for managing firmware upgrades. A resource managementmodule manages system resources and digital contention amongst thevarious resources, e.g. CPU/Bandwidth utilization, etc. A displaymanagement module and a logger management module store and track gatewaylog-in activity of users and applications, e.g. voice call logs, at theuser premises. The platform management layer 110 in concert withresource and service management components enforces the separation ofnetwork side managed service control and user side delegations dependingupon service subscriptions and configurations. For example, the platformand resource management encompass rules and guidelines providedaccording to subscribed services that act to enforce, manage and controlinput/output operations, and use of hard drives space etc. A demarcationpoint, logically depicted as the Application Service ProviderDemarcation in FIG. 2, is thus defined that provides a hard line betweenwhat is owned by the customer and what is owned by the service provider.

The logical platform management layer 110 allows for inter-layerallocation of local resources. This function guarantees access betweenthe application service/management logic implemented at the higherlayers in the gateway device 10 and the applications service managementfunction in the service management center 50, by assuring that the localuser premises hardware and software modules are functioning at arequired state (CPU and memory usage, bandwidth usage, QoS settings,etc.). The platform manager is also responsible for implementing thatpart of the managed application services to be performed by the gatewaydevice. In that regard, the platform manager secures and manages theoverall hardware platform, given that in this scenario, the networkfunction layer and the application service layer reside on one hardwareplatform. This secure hardware platform provides a robust and secureoperating environment for the application services layer. So, toestablish a secure and robust hardware operating environment, theplatform management layer must interface with all the layers above itand allow for bi-directional management information flow among all ofthe functions.

Referring back to FIGS. 4A and 4C, built on top of the platformmanagement layer 110 is the Services Framework 120, which provides alibrary of application support service processes that facilitate datacollection and data distribution to and from the multimedia endpointdevices. The application support service processes include, but are notlimited to: an authentication manager for use in authenticating devicesconnected to the gateway device; a billing manager for collecting andformatting service records and service usage by endpoint devices, e.g.calls, back-up services etc.; a fault manager for detecting and managingdetermined system and/or service faults that are monitored and used forperformance monitoring and diagnostics; a database manager; a controlchannel interface via which the gateway initiates secure communicationswith the operations support infrastructure; a configuration manager fortracking and maintaining device configuration; a user manager; a servicemanager for managing service configuration and firmware versions forsubscribed services provided at the gateway device; and a statisticsmanager for collecting and formatting features associated with thegateway device. Statistics may relate to use of one or more services andassociated time-stamped events that are tracked.

Built on top of the Services Framework layer 120 is the ApplicationServices layer 130 providing library of user application services andapplication support threads including, but not limited to: file sharingfunctionality; backup services functionality; home storagefunctionality; network device management functionality; photo editingfunctionality; home automation functionality; media servicesfunctionality; call processing functionality; voice mail and interactivevoice response functionality; presence and networking functionality;parental control functionality; and intelligent ads managementfunctionality. The multi-services applications gateway 10 furtherprovides application service interfaces 140 that are used to enable avariety of user applications and communications modalities.

For instance, the SIP Interface 141 is an interface to the generictransactional model defined by the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)that provides a standard for initiating, modifying or terminatinginteractive user sessions that involve one or more multimedia elementsthat can include voice, video, instant messaging, online games, etc., byproviding access to dialog functionality from the transaction interface.For instance a SIP signaling interface enables connection to a SIPnetwork that is served by a SIP directory server via a Session BorderController element in the service management center 50 (FIG. 3).

The Web Interface 142 enables HTTP interactions (requests and responses)between two applications. The Web services interface 149 provides theaccess interface and manages authentication as multi-services gatewaydevices access the service management center 50 (FIG. 3) via webservices. The IM Interface 144 is a client that enables themulti-services gateway device 10 to connect to one or more specific IMnetwork(s). As further shown in FIG. 4C, the UpNp (Universal Plug andPlay) interface enables connectivity to other stand-alone devices andPCs from many different vendors.

The XMPP interface 145 is provided to implement the protocol forstreaming (XML) elements via the gateway device 10, in order to exchangemessages and presence information in close to real time, e.g. betweentwo gateway devices. The core features of XMPP provide the buildingblocks for many types of near-real-time applications, which may belayered as application services on top of the base TCP/IP transportprotocol layers by sending application-specific data qualified byparticular XML namespaces. In the example, the XMPP interface 145provides the basic functionality expected of an instant messaging (IM)and presence application that enable users to perform the followingfunctions including, but not limited to: 1) Exchange messages with otherusers; 2) Exchange presence information with other devices; 3) Managesubscriptions to and from other users; 4) Manage items in a contact list(in XMPP this is called a “roster”); and 5) Block communications to orfrom specific other users by assigning and enforcing privileges tocommunicate and send or share content amongst users (buddies) and otherdevices.

As noted, FIG. 4D provides a functional block diagram of exemplaryelements of the hardware layer 102. For example, a system on a chipprovides the CPU 152 and associated system components. The CPU 152 isalso coupled to a random access memory (“RAM”) and flash memory. Thesystem on a chip also includes a hard drive controller controlling ahard disk drive, and together the controller and drive form the harddisk example of the storage 154. An Ethernet switch and associated LANport(s) provide the Ethernet LAN interface 155; and the Ethernet switchand associated WAN port provide a landline implementation of the WANinterface 156L, for connection to a broadband modem or the likeimplementing the NSP-TA. The WAN interface may also be wireless, asimplemented at 156 w for example by a wireless WAN module and associatedantenna. An example of such an interface would be the EvDO interfacediscussed earlier. If the gateway device uses the wireless WAN interface156 w, there would be no separate NSP-TA.

In the example of FIG. 4D, a USB controller in the system on a chip andone or more associated USB ports provide the USB interface 158. The USBinterface 158 may provide an alternate in-premises data communicationlink instead of or in addition to the wired or wireless Ethernet LANcommunications. The system on a chip includes a security engine, whichperforms the functions of the data encryption/decryption unit 162.

The hardware layer 102 may also include an option module. The UNA-DAhardware components at layer 102 have multiple interfaces for connectionto such an option module. These interfaces, by way of example, could bea data bus (e.g. PCI, etc), network interface (e.g. Ethernet (RJ45),MoCA/HPNA (Coax)) and Power feeds. The option module allows additionalfunctionality to be added to the base UNA-DA functionality of thegateway device. For example, this additional functionality could beeverything from support for a variety of extra Wide Area NetworkInterfaces (e.g. xDSL, DOCSIS, Fiber (PON), Cellular Packet, WIMAX,etc.), Media Processing (e.g. Cable TV termination, Digital VideoRecording, Satellite TV Termination, etc), to Voice Processing (FXS,FXO, Speech Detection, Voice to Text, etc). The option module may haveits own standalone CPU, Memory, I/O, Storage, or provide additionalfunctionality by its use of the CPU, Memory, I/O, and storage facilitiesoff of the main hardware board. The option module may or may not bemanaged directly by the Platform Management of the UNA-DA.

Gateway Processing

For the in-home services, the multi-services gateway device 10 connectsthe various service delivery elements together for enabling the user toexperience a connected digital home, where information from one source(for example, voicemail) can be viewed and acted on at another endpoint(for example, the TV 32). The multi-services gateway device 10 thushosts the various in-home device interfaces, and facilitates the movingof information from one point to another. Some of the in-home endpointdevice processing duties performed by the gateway device 10 include, butare not limited to: 1) detecting new devices and provide IP addressesdynamically or statically; 2) functioning as a (Network AddressTranslator) NAT, Router and Firewall; 3) providing a centralized diskstorage in the home; 4) obtaining configuration files from the servicemanagement center and configuring all in-home devices; 5) acting as aRegistrar for SIP-based devices; 6) receiving calls from and deliveringcalls to voice devices; providing voicemail services; 7) decrypting andsecurely streaming media having digital rights management (DRM)encoding; 8) distributing media to an appropriate in-home device; 9)compressing and encrypting files for network back-up; 10) backing-upfiles to the network directly from gateway device; 11) handling homeautomation schedules and changes in status; 12) providing in-homepersonal web-based portals for each user; 13) providing Parental ControlServices (e.g. URL filtering, etc.); 14) creating and transmittingbilling records of in-home devices including, recording and uploadingmulti-service billing event records; 15) distributing a PC client to PCsin the home, used in support of the various services such as monitoringevents or diagnostic agents; 16) storing and presenting games that usersand buddies can play; 17) delivering context-sensitive advertising tothe endpoint device; and, 18) delivering notifications to the endpointdevice; and, 19) enabling remote access through the web, IM client, etc.Other duties the gateway device 10 may perform include: servicemaintenance features such as setting and reporting of alarms andstatistics for aggregation; perform accessibility testing; notify aregistration server (and Location server) of the ports it is “listening”on; utilize IM or like peer and presence communications protocolinformation for call processing and file sharing services; receiveprovisioning information via the registration server; utilize a SIPdirectory server to make/receive calls via the SBC network elementto/from the PSTN and other gateway device devices; and download DRM andnon-DRM based content and facilitating the DRM key exchanges with mediaendpoints.

Logical Architecture and Service Management Center Network

While the gateway devices 10 as described above are each equipped withvarious logic and intelligence for features that enable the gatewaydevices to provide various integrated digital services to the premises,as described herein with respect to FIG. 3, the network-based elementsof the service management center 50 supports and manages multi-servicesgateway devices, for instance, so as to control the accessibility tofunctionalities and service features provisioned in the gateway devicesand the ability to communicate with other gateway devices and variousdigital endpoint devices connected thereto. These elements that supportand manage the gateway devices 10 comprise the ASM module describedabove with reference to FIG. 1. These ASM elements may, for example,provide the necessary data to the ASE and ASL modules so that they maycarry out their respective functions, oversee the overall integrationand communication among all the modules and the services that aremanaged by the ASM, manages the overall security and integrity of theASD, and maintains alarm, statistical, subscription and provisioningdata, and data necessary for the integration of services fromthird-party service providers, e.g., media content aggregators.

Examples of various ASM functionalities performed at the servicemanagement center 50, from the Service Provider Network regime, includebut are not limited to: service initialization of the gateway devices,providing security for the gateway devices and the network supportinfrastructure, enabling real time secure access and control to and fromthe gateway devices, distributing updates and new service options to thegateway devices, providing service access to and from the gatewaydevices and remote access to the gateway devices, but not limited tosuch. In support of these services, the service management center 50provides the following additional services and features: authentication;multi-service registration; subscription control; service authorization;alarm management; remote diagnostic support; billing collection andmanagement; web services access; remote access to gateway devices (e.g.via SIP or Internet/web based communications); reachability to accesschallenged gateway devices; software updates; service data distribution;location service for all services; SIP VoIP service; media services;backup services; sharing services; provisioning; gateway interfaces toother service providers (Northbound and peering); load balancing;privacy; security; and network protection.

The logical network architecture for the service management centernetwork delivering these capabilities is illustrated in FIG. 5. Itshould be understood that the functional components described in view ofFIG. 5 may be combined and need not be running on discrete platforms orservers. Rather one server or component may provide all the servicemanagement center functionalities for providing managed network ofgateway devices 10. In addition, any one of the components shown in FIG.5 may perform any one of the functionalities described herein. Thus, thedescription in the present disclosure associating certain functions withcertain components are provided for ease of explanation only; and thedescription is not meant to limit the functionalities as being performedby those components only. Thus, the network elements or components shownin FIG. 5 illustrate logical architecture only, and the presentteachings do not require the specific components shown to performspecific functionalities described. Moreover, the functional componentsmay use distributed processing to achieve a high availability andredundancy capacity.

The one or more network elements of center 50 illustrated in FIG. 5support the gateway devices 10 that are services points of presence inthe user premises such as users homes, and the various endpoint devicesconnected thereto. Examples of functionalities provided in the servicemanagement center network 50 are discussed below. Upgrades to gatewaydevice firmware and various endpoint devices may be managed in theservice management center network 50, for example, by a firmware updaterserver 51. VOD (video on demand) functionalities, for example, servicedby VOD servers (VODs) 52, ingest wholesale multi-media content andprovide DRM-based premium content to the multi-services gateway deviceand endpoint devices. The service management center network 50 also mayenforce DRM (Digital Rights Management) policies, for example, by aconditional access (CA) server 54, which provides key-based access andinitiating billing processes. The service management center network 50may also provide functionalities such as collecting billing informationand processing billing events, which for instance may be handled bybilling aggregator sub-system 58. The service management center network50, for example, using one or more connection manager servers 60, mayestablish and maintain a signaling control channel with each activemulti-service gateway device 10. For message routing functionality ofthe service management center network 50, for example, one or moremessage router devices 62, may provide intelligent message toutingservice for the network 50 and maintain gateway device presence andregistration status in an internal session manager sub-system of theservice management center 50. Publish and subscribe, functionality ofthe service management center network 50, for example, aPublish/Subscribe (Pub/Sub) server sub-system 65, may provide publishand subscribe messaging services or the multi-services gateway devices10 and the elements service management center network 50.

The service management center network 50 may provide SIP-based directoryservices for voice and other multimedia services, for example, via itsSIP Directory Server 66. In addition, location service functionality,for example, provided by the Location Server 68, may include IP and Portlevel services for all inbound services. As discussed more later, thelocation server 68 maintains information as to accessibility ofauthenticated gateway devices 10, for enabling peer to peercommunications among gateway devices 10 via the wide area IP network 99.DNS services functionality may be provided by a DNS server 69 for allinbound services.

The service management center network 50 may also provide virtualprivate network (VPN) functionalities, for example, handled by its VPNserver/subsystem 70, and provide VPN connection services for certaininbound services on multi-services gateway devices 10. VPN connectionservices may be provided on those multi-services gateway devices thathave accessibility challenges, for example, those that are behindexternal firewalls and NATs. The service management center network 50may also include functionality for determining the nature of theaccessibility configuration for the multi-services gateway devices 10.In one, embodiment accessibility service may be performed by anaccessibility test server 72 that functions in cooperation with themulti-services gateway device 10 to determine the nature of theaccessibility. For example, the accessibility test determines whetherthe gateway devices are behind a firewall, whether NATs is required,etc.

The service management center network 50 also functions to provideprovisioning services to all elements of service management centernetwork 50 and to multi-services gateway devices 10. Such functionalityof the network 50, for example, may be implemented by the provisioningserver 74 in one embodiment.

Authentication functionality of the service management center network50, for example, provided by an authentication manager 71, providesauthentication services to all service management center networkelements and to multi-services gateway devices 10. As discussed morelater, upon successful authentication of a gateway device 10, theauthentication manager 71 controls the connection manager 60 toestablish a signaling communication link through the wide area IPnetwork 99 with the authenticated gateway device 10. The authenticationmanager 71 confirms authentication of the respective gateway device 10from time to time, and the authentication manager 71 controls theconnection manager 60 to maintain a session for the signalingcommunication link through the wide area IP network 99 with therespective gateway device 10 as long as the authentication manager 71continues to confirm the authentication of the respective gatewaydevice. The signaling connection may be torn-down, when the device 10 nolonger passes authentication, either because it becomes inaccessible tothe authentication manager 71 or its service status changes.

The gateway devices 10 and service management center 50 implementseveral methodologies that allow the service provider to manage varioussubscription application services provided for endpoint devicesassociated with the gateway devices 10. In general, one subscriptionmanagement methodology involves sending information indicatingconfiguration data or software currently needed for the one gatewaydevice to implement server functionality for an application service or afeature of an application service, based on a service subscription of acustomer associated with that gateway device. Several different ways ofsending this information are discussed by way of example below. Arequest from a particular gateway device 10 is received in the servicemanagement center 50, indicating that the device 10 needs theconfiguration data or software to implement the application service orfeature thereof. In response, the service management center 50 sends thenecessary configuration data or software through the wide area network99 to the gateway device 10. The gateway device 10 can install theconfiguration data or software, to enable that device 10 to deliver theserver functionality for the application service or the feature to itsassociated one or more endpoint device(s) that implement the clientfunctions regarding the particular application service.

Subscription functionality of the service management center network 50,for example, provided by a subscription manager 73, is one mechanismused to provide management of subscription services to allmulti-services gateway devices 10. The subscription manager 73 managesapplications services and/or features of the server functionality of thegateway device 10, to be enabled on each respective authenticatedgateway device, based on a service subscription associated with therespective device 10.

The service management center network 50 may include functionality forproviding management services for each of the services provided in thegateway device 10. For example, respective service managers 75 store andserve to distribute service specific configuration data to themulti-services gateway devices 10, typically via the signalingcommunication links established through the wide area IP network 10 uponsuccessful device authentication. The configuration data downloads bythe service managers 75 are based on the service subscription of theuser or premises associated with the particular gateway device 10, thatis to say, as indicated by the subscription manager 73.

The service management center network 50 also includes elements toprovide necessary software to the gateway devices 10 through the widearea network, as needed to implement customers' subscription services.In the example, the service management center network 50 includes anupdater 51 for transmitting software to the gateway devices. Thesoftware resident in the gateway device is sometimes referred to asfirmware. Software can be distributed upon request from an individualgateway device 10 or as part of a publication procedure to distributeupgrades to any number of the gateway devices. For this approach, thepublication/subscription (Pub/Sub) server or like functionality 65provides notifications of available software updates. For example, upondetecting an update regarding an application service, gateway devices 10subscribing to an update notification service with regard to therelevant application service are identified. The Pub/Sub server 65 sendsnotification messages through, the wide area network 99 to theidentified gateway devices 10. Assuming that a notified gateway devicedoes not yet have the software update installed as part of its residentfirmware, it sends a request indicating that the gateway device needsthe available update. In response to the received request, the updater51 sends the update of the software through the wide area network 99 tothe one gateway device 10. The update enables the gateway device 10 todeliver the subscription application service or feature thereof, basedon the updated software, to one or more endpoint devices implementingclient functions related to the subscription application service.

Service access test functionality of the service management centernetwork 50 performs tests to multi-services gateway devices to verifythe accessibility for each subscribed service. Such functionality may beprovided by service access test managers 77. The service managementcenter network 50, for example, in an alarm aggregator subsystem 82 mayaggregate alarms received from the multi-services gateway devices. Theservice management center network 50 also may include functionalities tosupport, for instance by alarms, diagnostics and network management(NWM) server 85, network management and network management services. Theservice management center network 50 enables web interface communicationmechanism, for example, via a web services interface server 90, to forexample provide access interface and manage authentication asmulti-services gateway devices access the service management center forvarious services, including access to configuration data in the servicemanagers 75.

Additional service management center network functionalities shown inFIG. 5 may include providing HTTP redirection services for public webaccess to the multi-services gateway devices, which function, forexample, may be provided via a public web redirect server 91. Public SIPRedirect/Proxy functionality provides, for instance, via a Public SIPRedirect/Proxy server 92, SIP redirection and proxy services to publicremote SIP phones and devices. The service management center network 50also may include functionalities to provide a SIP-based network borderinterface and billing services for off-net voice calls. Suchfunctionality in one embodiment may be provided in a Session BorderController device 93 a. Another functionality of the service managementcenter network 50 may be providing Session Border Control services toSIP roaming SIP callers in certain situations, which functionality forexample may be provided by a Roaming Session Border Controller device 93b. The service management center network 50 also functions to providedynamic NAT services during certain SIP roaming scenarios. Suchfunctionality may be implemented in the Roamer Dynamic NAT Server 94.

The service management center network 50 further may provide off-sitebackup services for the service management center network to a WholesaleBack-up Provider 96. The service management center network 50 furtherinteroperates with Wholesale VoIP Provider 97, which may provide VoIPcall origination/termination services for off-net voice calls. Forinstance, the service management center network 50 may provide VoIP/PSTNgateway that enables a translation, between protocols inherent to theInternet (e.g. voice over Internet protocol) and protocols inherent tothe PSTN. Other entities that may be partnered with the servicemanagement center network 50 as shown in FIG. 5 include the contentproviders 98 that provide media-based content (including, but notlimited to music, video, and gaming) to the service management centernetwork 50, gateway interfaces 101 for billing, alarms/diagnosticnetwork management (NWM), and provisioning interfaces for partneredwholesale providers (e.g. peering interfaces) and service providercustomers (e.g. North bound interfaces).

In the illustrated example, a server or servers of the servicemanagement center network 50 are intended to represent a general classof data processing device commonly used to run “server” programming.Such a device typically utilizes general purpose computer hardware toperform its respective server processing functions and to control theattendant communications via the network(s). Each such server, forexample, includes a data communication interface for packet datacommunication. The server hardware also includes a central processingunit (CPU), in the form of one or more processors, for executing programinstructions. The server platform typically includes program storage anddata storage for various data files to be processed and/or communicatedby the server, although the server often receives programming and datavia network communications. The hardware elements, operating systems andprogramming languages of such servers are conventional in nature, and itis presumed that those skilled in the art are adequately familiartherewith.

Gateway and Service Network Initialization

FIGS. 6A-6C describe high-level aspects of an initialization technique200 for establishing a gateway device's connection to and enablingcommunication with the service management center network 50, and furtherthe provisioning and management and maintenance of services. After poweris applied to the gateway device 10, a boot sequence is executed thatloads the software modules of the gateway device at step 203.

As shown in FIG. 6A, a gateway device 10 is fully enabled if asubscriber activation code and optionally, the WAN configurationinformation is provisioned. Thus, optionally, at step 206, adetermination is made as to whether the necessary WAN configurationinformation is provided. In an example, the gateway device 10 comespreconfigured for a certain (default) WAN configuration, but this maynot match the appropriate configuration for the particular subscriber.For example, the gateway device 10 might have a default configuration toobtain a dynamic IP address from the network, but the user may havesubscribed to a static IP address, in which case a DHCP request wouldfail and the user would need to input the static IP address. As anotherexample, the gateway device 10 might come configured without a PPoElogin, but the user's configuration requires a PPoE login. In thatexample, the user would need to input this data. Hence, in the processflow of FIG. 6A, if the determination at step 206 is that thesubscribers' WAN configuration the default configuration alreadyexisting in the gateway device 10, then no user input is required.However, if the WAN configuration information is not properlyprovisioned in the gateway device 10, the process proceeds to step 207where the system obtains from the user the gateway device's WANconfiguration. At step 210, a determination is made as to whether thegateway device is fully enabled. If the gateway device 10 is not fullyenabled, the process is performed at step 213 to obtain an activationidentifier (ID) from the user. It should be understood however, thatbefore full activation, minimal functionality could be provided.

Once the gateway device is fully enabled, at step 216, there isinitiated the process of initializing the router/firewall andestablishing the WAN connection. In one embodiment, a Transport LayerSecurity (TLS) connection is established with the connection managerserver functionality 60 at the service management center network 50 andcommunications with the service management center network at step 218.This TLS connection in one embodiment is a signaling channel that isalways-on for transacting various communications with the servicemanagement center network. For example, the channel or session mayremain logically on at least while the device is authenticated and mayremain on for the duration that the gateway device 10 is powered on andproviding its services and functionalities as the in-premises or in-homeplatform for endpoint devices associated with the premises.

Continuing to step 220, the gateway device 10 then sends anauthentication request including an authentication digest using ahardware identifier, an activation code, and a subscriber ID, and waitsfor an authentication response. At step 222, the process waits until theauthentication notice or like response is received. If theauthentication response is not received, the process terminates as shownat step 225. If the gateway device becomes authenticated, at step 228,the gateway device requests from the service management center theauthentication keys and stores them at the gateway device. These keysare used whenever a gateway device has to be authenticated, e.g. whenconducting a transaction or accessing the service management centernetwork, for example, through a web services interface or a controlsignal channel.

Continuing to step 230, FIG. 6A, the gateway device 10 sends a requestto the subscription manager functionality 73 or the like of the servicemanagement center network 50, and the gateway device 10 waits until itreceives a response. The request from the gateway device 10 includes,for example, the gateway device identifier information. In response, thesubscription manager functionality 73 of the service management centernetwork 50 replies with a service descriptor indicating the latestsoftware version and configuration information for that gateway device10, for example, information associated with one or more servicescurrently subscribed in that gateway device 10, the latest softwareinformation for the gateway and configuration for all subscribedservices. There is also provided an indicator that identifies a changein user specific service data for all of the subscribed services, ifany.

Continuing to FIG. 6B, at step 233, the gateway device 10 determineswhether its firmware versions are up to date by checking the receivedsoftware version numbers with version numbers for the firmware modulesthat currently reside in the gateway device 10. If necessary, thegateway device 10 receives the actual software or configuration datafrom the service management center, for instance, through a web servicesinterface 90 over a secure HTTPS connection in one embodiment. At step235, a determination is made as to whether the configuration data 235 aand user data 235 b for each service of up to N services that the usermay be subscribed to are up to date. For each service, if it isdetermined that the configuration data 235 a and user data 235 b are notupdated, the gateway device 10 may receive such data from the servicemanagement center network 50, for example, over the HTTPS connection.

Continuing to step 237, the gateway device may apply theconfiguration/software updates immediately or, schedule them for anothertime. A user may utilize a GUI to schedule the updates. If certainfirmware needs to be updated right away, there may be a prompt presentedto the user to acknowledge and approve the updates.

At step 240, a gateway device accessibility test is performed todetermine if a VPN connection to the service management center networkis needed. This may happen if the gateway device 10 is behind a firewallor the like that protects the gateway device from the public access. Thetest, for example, may be optional. In one embodiment, this test is doneon start-up, and for example, for cases when the gateway device isdisconnected from the WAN or a new IP address from the WAN is assigned.An accessibility testing functionality of the service management centernetwork, for example, may send a connection request (such as a ping) inorder to try to reach the gateway device. Different port numbers on agiven IP address may be tested for reachability to the gateway device.

Continuing to step 245, FIG. 6C, a determination is made as to whetheraccessibility has been challenged, e.g. the device lies behind afirewall at a private IP address. If accessibility has been challenged,then at step 348, a connection with a VPN is established. Step 250represents the step of storing the WAN and VPN IP addresses to be usedfor inbound services. Examples of inbound services may include, but notlimited to, voice service, remote web access, etc. At step 253, thegateway device 10 sends a message to the service management centernetwork 50, for example, which message is routed to service manager 75and subscription manager 73 of the service management center network 50.The message informs the service manager 75 and subscription manager 73about the gateway device's current version and configurationinformation. Registering with those server functionalities may initiatenotification services that enable asynchronous configuration, firmware,and/or user data updates.

At step 255, a general multi-purpose registration is performed, wherebya service register request message is sent from the service manager 75to a location server 68 of the service management center network 50.This request message tells the location server 68 that the gatewaydevice 10 is ready to accept inbound services on a given IP address andport number for the respective service. Thus, the information mayinclude the IP Address (WAN/VPN) and/or other specific data forinforming the location server 68 how to route to the gateway device 10.In one embodiment, a clock on a gateway device may be set when thegateway device re-registers with the service management center network50.

Architectural Overview for Establishing Connections and AuthenticationProcess

FIG. 7A is an architectural diagram illustrating a manner in which themulti-services gateway device makes an initial connection to the servicemanagement center network 50 in one example. It is noted that theindividual components shown in the service management center network 50illustrate logical components or functionalities provided in the servicemanagement center network. As mentioned above, a signaling channel in anexemplary embodiment is established between the gateway device 10 andthe service management center network 50 during the gateway device'sinitialization process, and in one embodiment this connection ismaintained for the duration that the gateway device is powered on and isproviding its functionalities. Thus, a connection is established betweenthe gateway device and the connection manager server functionality 60 inthe service management center network, for example, to provideconnection services prior to establishing a session state andauthenticating the gateway device. As shown in FIG. 7A, a TCP/TLSconnection 150 is made between the gateway device using the gatewaydevice's broadband connection and the IP network to connection managerserver functionality 60 of the services service management centernetwork. The connection manager 60 of the service management centernetwork 50 receives the session state of the network channel requestwhere control is implemented to initiate authentication. A messagerouter 62 routes the request message to an authentication manager 71 orthe like as shown in FIG. 7A. Prior to establishing any TCP/IPconnection, an authentication is performed, as indicated at 145.

In one embodiment, the connection manager 60 may aggregate a pluralityof connection channels 150 and multiplex these signaling channels to themessage router device 62. The connection manager 60 works with themessage router 62 and the authentication manager 71 to authenticate themulti-services gateway device 10 and allow its access to the network 50by enabling the establishment of a control channel 150 providing an“always on” control channel between the multi-services gateway deviceand the services service management center 50 once the gateway device isauthenticated. The connection managers 60 also provide network securityand protection services, e.g. for preventing flooding, denial of service(DOS) attacks, etc. In one embodiment, there may be interfaces such asAPIs for interfacing the connection managers 60 or the like to themessage routers 62 and the multi-services gateway devices 10. As thenetwork of multi-services gateway devices grow, the number of connectionmanagers 60 may grow to meet the demand for concurrent signaling controlchannel connections.

In one embodiment, a message router device(s) 62 provides control signalmessage routing services and session management services to themulti-services gateway device 10 and the other network elements of theservice management center 50. In one embodiment, the message routerdevice 62 has control channel signaling access, via the control channelto the firmware upgrade manager server or gateway firmware updater 51,VOD server(s) 52, a billing system 58, content managers 98, pub/subs 65,service accessibility test manager 77, authentication manager 71,service manager 75, subscription manager 73, alarms aggregator 82,network management (NWM) server 85 and public web proxy redirect 91, andthe multi-services gateway devices 10. The message router 62 may alsoinclude a session manager subsystem that maintains control channel stateinformation about every gateway device client in the gateway-servicecenter network. The message router 62, and session manager enablesessions to be established to each multi-services gateway device 10 andeach element of the service management center 50 and provide robustrouting services between all the components. The message routers 62 mayadditionally connect to other message routers for geographic basedscaling, creating a single domain-based control channel routinginfrastructure. The message routers 62 may additionally connect to IMgateways and other message routers that provide user based IM services,which may enable users to interact directly with their multi-servicesgateway device via IM user clients. Thus, besides providing routing andsession management for all the multi-services gateway devices and thenetwork elements, the message router element 62 enables controlsignaling between all the network elements and the multi-servicesgateway devices and, connects to IM gateways to provide connectivity toother IM federations.

With respect to authentication functionality, the authentication managercomponent 71 provides authentication services for all the networkelements of the service management center network 50. The servicemanagement center network elements query the authentication manager 71to verify the identity of elements, including the multi-services gatewaydevice 10, during inter-element communications. The gateway device 10authenticates the service management center 50 at the Web ServicesInterface 90. The Web Services Interface 90, for example, may returndata that the multi-services gateway device 10 uses to confirm theidentity of the service management center 50.

The authentication manager functionality 71 may interface to themulti-services gateway devices 10 and other network elements such as themessage router 62 and session manger servers, the accessibility serveror the like, the service accessibility test mangers 77, the web servicesinterface 90 or the like, the provisioning manager server 74, the NWMserver 85 or the like, pub/sub 65 or the like, VODs 52, CA servers 54,and the billing system 58 or the like.

Signaling Control Channel

As mentioned herein with respect to FIG. 7A, the connection managerservers 60 or the like functionality in the service management centernetwork 50 provide connection services and enable the establishment of acontrol channel, enabling an “always on” control channel between thegateway device and the service management center functions of theservice management center network. Thus, in one embodiment a gatewaydevice 10 establishes a TCP/TLS connection to the connection managerfunctionality 60 in the service management center network 50, as shownat 150.

FIG. 8A illustrates details regarding TCP control channel setup in oneembodiment. Step 310 establishes TCP control channel connection betweenthe home gateway device and the service management center network 50 viaa TCP Connect request and TCP Accept exchange. Once the control channelis established, an InitiateComm Stream request is generated by thegateway device and the network connection manager responds byestablishing a TCP session and associated TCP/Session ID for streamingapplications. Once the TCP communications session is established, aTransport Layer Security (TLS) or like cryptographic protocol securityfeature may optionally be established to secure endpoint authenticationby the connection manager of the service management center network, e.g.by using public key certificates to verify the identity of endpoints. Inthe handshake, example parameters TCP, features and tlsinfo areexchanged to initiate the secure communications session with the gatewaydevice as indicated at step 314. Once the TLS negotiation is completed,a secure, encrypted TCP/TLS communications session is established at 316upon which may be layered additional security features such as SASL- ornon-SASL-based. Those standards are described in detail in IETF RFC 2246and RFC 2222.

Authentication

As mentioned above, once the gateway device 10 is physically connectedto the service management center 50 via the network 99, it registers andauthenticates itself on the service management center network 50. In oneembodiment, this registration and authentication is done through theabove established secure connection. Further details regarding TCPcontrol channel and authentication are now described with reference toFIG. 8B. In one optional embodiment data link layer security may beestablished by implementing, for example, Simple Authentication andSecurity Layer (SASL). The SASL framework provides authentication anddata security services in connection-oriented protocols via replaceablemechanisms (IETF RFC 2222). This framework particularly provides astructured interface between protocols and mechanisms and allows newprotocols to reuse existing mechanisms and allows old protocols to makeuse of new mechanisms. The framework also provides a protocol forsecuring subsequent protocol exchanges within a data security layer. Atstep 320, after establishing the TCP/TLS connection between gatewaydevice 10 in the home and the service management center network 50 (e.g.connection manager server 60 or the like), the SASL authenticationprocess is initiated whereupon the gateway device 10 communicatesauthentication details to the connection manager server 60. Theconnection manager server 60 of the service management center network 50routes the authentication request to the authentication manager 71, viaintermediary of the control message router device 62 and session managerservers or the like as shown at 324 in FIG. 8B. Once the authenticationdetails for the gateway device 10 reach the authentication manager 71,the gateway device is authenticated. Additionally, control accessinformation is communicated to a Location server 68, which may providelocation and IP port information updates to, for example, other networkfunctionalities or elements such as a file sharing server, remote webaccess server, other gateway devices 10, and other elements.

In the example, with the security option, once secure connection (e.g.XMPP connection) is established at step 326, authenticated session statebetween the home gateway device and the service management centernetwork is ensured and messages can safely flow to and from the gatewaydevice 10. In one embodiment, authentication credentials may include:user ID, subscriber ID, and a unique identifier (id) that is hardwaredependent. In an alternate embodiment, a unique hardware based ID neednot be sent, however, may be used to hash a string or digest. At thispoint, any requests originating from the gateway device 10 may beserviced.

The authentication procedure between the gateway device 10 and theauthentication manager 71 is repeated from time to time, to allow theservice management center network 50 to confirm authentication of therespective gateway device 10. The authentication manager 71 couldinitiate such a repeat authentication, but typically, this would beinitiated by a new authentication request from the gateway device 10.The gateway device 10 would be programmed to initiate the new requestafter some predetermined period of time. In turn, the authenticationmanager 71 would be programmed to terminate authentication of therespective gateway device 10 if such a new request was not receivedwithin some delay interval following expiration of the time for theexpected new request. The signaling connection would be torn-down, whenthe device no longer passes authentication, in this example, when itfails to send the expected new request for confirmation ofauthentication in a timely manner. If the device 10 later attempts toobtain authentication, it would go through the procedure to communicatewith the authentication manager 71 as outlined above relative to FIG.8B.

In one example, a presence and peering based messaging protocol is usedfor the gateway device 10 to establish connection with the servicemanagement center network 50. This may comprise an SASL or NONSASL-based XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), describedin IETF RFC 3920 and RFC 3921. For instance, using XMPP, messages aresent and received between the gateway device and the service managementcenter network (e.g. via connection manager and message routerfunctionalities).

In one example, during the authentication, if the service managementcenter network 50 does not contain the gateway device registration andsubscription information, the service management center network 50 mayprompt the user via the gateway device 10 for the information. Suchinformation may include, but is not limited to, gateway identifier suchas the MAC address, name for a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) whichis a complete DNS name such as johndoe.xxx.com, subscriber informationsuch as name, address, email, and phone number. Additionally, serviceplan information such as file sharing, voice, file backup; mediaservices, personal page, home automation, billing, to which the user issubscribing or desires to subscribe, user name and password for thesubscriber and billing options and information may be obtained.

In one example, before completing the authentication process, theservice management center network 50 optionally may display to the uservia the gateway device 10 a list of the enabled services allowing theuser to confirm the services enabled, and/or allow the user to add to ordelete from the services enabled. Once the authentication process iscompleted, the service management center network registers the gatewaydevice with other functionalities in the network for enabling differentservices. For example, for phone service, there may be an optionalregistration or authentication process on the SIP redirect serverfunctionality.

Authentication Keys, Service Keys, Dynamic Key Renewal

In one example, the gateway device 10 and the service management centernetwork 50 utilize keys or tokens for authenticating the gateway device,web service interface requests, and other services subscriptions, forinstance, to verify that the gateway devices are valid users of thesystem and services. In one embodiment, the authentication keys (alsoreferred to as tokens herein) are renewable and may change dynamicallyfor each gateway device. For example, the authentication manager 71 orthe like in the service management center 50 may generate updated keysor tokens for all or a selected number of gateway devices, notify thosegateway devices periodically or at predetermined times, to retrieve thenew authentication keys. In another embodiment, the gateway devicesthemselves may request the authentication manager or the like to providea new or updated key. Yet in another embodiment, the updated keys may bepushed to gateway devices. This way the keys or tokens are periodicallyrefreshed. Such dynamically changing keys enhance security, forinstance, making it difficult for hackers to track the changing keys.

Each gateway device 10 may have more than one authentication key, forinstance, for different purposes. For example, there may be differentkeys or tokens for allowing access to different services or featuresprovided by the gateway device. Thus authentication keys are alsoreferred interchangeably as service keys or tokens. These service keysmay also dynamically change and are renewable. In one embodiment, thegateway device receives the service keys or tokens when individualservices are provisioned on the gateway device. Thereafter, the servicekeys may be updated to change periodically, at a predeterminedintervals, or regular intervals. The keys or tokens themselves, in oneembodiment, may be hardware based key. In another example, they may beimplemented independent of the hardware they are being used on.

Web Services Interface

In an example, the service management center network 50 may also provideweb services interface functionality (for example, shown at 90 in FIG.5) that forms an application programming interface (API) between thegateway devices 10 and the service management center network 50 as amechanism to communicate between the gateway devices and the servicemanagement center network. That is, in addition to the establishedsignaling control channel, the gateway devices 10 and the servicemanagement center network 50 may utilize web services interface 90 tocommunicate. For instance, the gateway devices 10 and the servicemanagement center network 50 may exchange information via secure HTTP orHTTPS using SOAP, XML, WSDL, etc. or the like.

In one example, an authentication key is used or embedded in the messagein order to validate the communication between one or more gatewaydevices 10 and the web services interface functionality 90 in theservice management center network 50. In one embodiment, the gatewaydevice 10 may request from the service management center network 50, forinstance, from its authentication manager functionality 71, a temporarykey, which is to be used when the gateway device 10 requests servicesvia the web services interface 90. Preferably, this key is not a servicespecific key, but rather identifies a particular gateway device 10 toenter the service management center 50 through the web servicesinterface 90. Every time the gateway device 10 requests a key, theauthentication manager 71 functionality may store the key and the expirytime of the key. A response message provided from the authenticationmanager 71 has the key and expiry time. In one example, gateway devices10 are responsible to determine a status of the key compared to theexpiry and to request a new key before the expiry time. In anotherembodiment, the web services interface authentication key may beassigned during initial registration and may be renewable as describedabove with reference to dynamic renewable authentication and servicekeys.

The web services interface 90 subsequently directs message requests tothe appropriate functionality in the service management center network50. The incoming requests may be load balanced in one embodiment by theDNS server 69, and loading and performance information may be fed backto the DNS in support of this function. The web services interface 90may have interfaces (e.g. APIs) to the gateway device 10, theauthentication manager functionality 71 of the service management centernetwork 50, DNS 69, the service managers 75 of the service managementcenter network 50, etc.

In an exemplary embodiment, a gateway device 10 may utilize the webservices interface to pull data, software or information from theservice management center network 50, while the service managementcenter network may utilize the signaling control channel to push datasuch as various notification data to the gateway devices. In an examplediscussed more below, the subscription manager 73 notifies the gatewaydevice 10 of configuration data applicable to a service subscribed to bythe customer associated with the particular gateway device. If thegateway device 10 determines that it needs the configuration data (notyet resident or not up-to-date), then the gateway device 10 sends arequest to the web services interface 90, which is forwarded to theappropriate service manager 75. The service manager 75 in turn sends theconfiguration data to the gateway device 10 for loading and future use.A similar procedure can be used to download software, e.g. from agateway updater or other firmware server based on a descriptor from thesubscription manager or a published notification from a Pub/Sub server.

Gateway Device Registration and Service Subscription

In one example, the service management center network 50 furtherincludes provisioning manager functionality 74, which may handle gatewaydevice registration and subscription activation. FIG. 7C depictsconceptually the process of subscriber provisioning in one embodiment.The provisioning manager functionality 74 may interface to 3.sup.rdparty order entry or provisioning system 160 that is enabled to acceptpurchase orders for gateway devices and services provided therein. Inanother aspect, the provisioning manager 74 may interface with a userinterface provided in the service management center network 50 forentering and accepting such orders. Thus, for example, gateway deviceregistration or subscriber provisioning may occur through an internalcustomer service representative user interface application, or acustomer/subscriber self-provisioning web application, or through apartner service provider application interface. Other registrationmethods are possible and they are not limited to those listed methods.For instance, the first time registration may occur during power-up andinitialization stage as explained above, or any other way.

In each instance, the subscriber information may be input via theprovisioning manager 74 or the like functionality. As will be describedin more detail, provisioning input may include attributes such as thegateway device identification information, user information, and serviceplan information. In one embodiment, the provisioning input dataincluding subscriber provisioning action/data may be classified asaccounting/business and operational data and may persist in theprovisioning manager 74 as shown at 162. This may be an optional step,for example, where partner service providers have their own existingsystems.

Examples of subscriber information include, but are not limited to thefollowing. In addition, not all information is required as subscriberinformation. Examples are subscriber name, address, billing information,email, phone, social security number (SSN), etc.; gateway device ID,e.g. MAC address, FQDN such as e.g. johnsmith@rosservice.com. This datamay be generated and may have different domain base depending on theprovider. This ID may be called the JID (jabber ID) or BIT) (Box ID) orFamily ID); a subscriber unique ID (Internal Generated Number); anassigned gateway device serial number (the serial number may be anexternal identifier of the gateway device); a gateway device modelnumber (e.g. to link the software, configuration to the model); a useraccess password (this may be different from the gateway device accesskey which is operational system generated); a user service/gatewaydevice binding identifier (this may be generated by the system andmailed to user); a locale/region identifier; a list of the subscribedservices, e.g. voice, video, remote access, backup; a list of servicespecific features, e.g. voice—call forwarding allowed, voice feature 2,etc.; a list of service specific user details, e.g. voice—DN, etc.;Backup—Max GB, Max Bandwidth, etc.

In a further step, as shown at 163, FIG. 7C, the added gateway deviceand/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the authentication managerfunctionality 71. Thus, for example, the authentication managerfunctionality 71 may maintain the following subscriber information/datafor authenticating users and their gateway device devices 10: theJID/BID; the gateway device's serial number; a user access password; auser service/gateway device binding identifier; the subscriberactive/disable status; the gateway device hardware ID; asubscriber/hardware binding: BOOL; a Web interface access key; andassociated Web interface access key validity time.

In a further step, as shown at step 164, FIG. 7C, the added gatewaydevice and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the subscriptionmanager (server or functionality or the like) 73. Thus, the subscriptionmanager 73 for example may maintain the following subscriberinformation/data for providing subscription information to gatewaydevices 10: the model number, the JID/BID or the like to be able tocreate and distribute the right package of meta information and toidentify the firmware ID, configuration and configuration data to thegateway device. Additional exemplary data made available at thesubscription manager 73 may include, but not limited to: user ID;gateway device serial number; the gateway device model; the subscriberlocale current gateway device firmware version; and, a list of servicesand enabled features, for example:

Service 1

Enable/Disable

Feature 1 Enable/Disable

. . .

Feature N Enable/Disable

Current Configuration Version

Service 2

Enable/Disable

Feature 1 Enable/Disable

. . .

Feature N Enable/Disable

Current Configuration Version

. . .

Service N

. . .

In a further step, as shown at step 165, FIG. 7C, the added gatewaydevice and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to one or more servicemanager (servers or devices or functionality or the like) 75. Servicedata maintained at the service manager 75 may include, but is notlimited to information identifying: configuration files, e.g. voice:dial plans; parental control: black lists, etc., for the applicationservices and features thereof subscribed to by the customer associatedwith a gateway device 10. This data may be in database or versionedfiles stored on disk. Optionally, the following subscriber data may bemaintained at the service manager 75: the gateway device's JID/BID; theprovisioned subscriber data for each service (e.g. a list comprisingData 1, Data 2, etc.); and the generated subscriber data for eachservice (e.g. a list comprising Data 1, Data 2, etc.). It is understoodthat some services are basic services and some services may not havesubscriber data at all. Thus, as an example, if implementingprovisioning of Backup Services, the service management center network50 may generate the following account on behalf of the subscriber:Backup Acct ID, KEY. The provisioned subscriber data and generated dataare communicated to the gateway device 10.

In a further step, as shown at step 166 a, FIG. 7C, the added gatewaydevice and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to a SIP directoryserver or like functionality 66 and, additionally, to the Session BorderController device 93 a or like functionality, as shown at step 166 b.For example, the SIP directory server 66 may be provisioned with datasuch as the SIP user identifier (e.g. www.gw10.ros.com); associatedgateway DN numbers; and, any other data as may be required by theSession Border Controller device 93 a, e.g. realm data or, location datafor the endpoint device. Additional service data that may be provisionedmay include: OFFNET/ONNET DN Numbers; and, other SIP Service specificdata.

In a further step, as shown at step 167; FIG. 7C, the added gatewaydevice and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to thepublication/subscription (Pub/Sub) server or like functionality 65. Thenew subscriber information maintained at the Pub/Sub may include thesubscriber for gateway device software/firmware update events and forservice configuration/locale events, e.g. U.S. dial plans, parentalcontrols, etc. The Pub/Sub server 65 may maintain various event channelsand the content for event channels (i.e. events per channel) andsubscribed users for the event channels (i.e. users for channel).

In a further step, as shown at step 168, FIG. 7C, the added gatewaydevice and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the billingsub-system server 58 or like functionality. The new subscriberinformation maintained at the billing sub-system server may include, butnot limited to: the subscriber name; address; billing information;email; phone; SSN; user ID, e.g. johnsmith@rosservice.com; a subscriberunique ID (Internal Generated Number); an assigned gateway device serialnumber (the serial number may be an external identifier of the gatewaydevice); a locale/region identifier; and, a list of the subscribedservices.

In a further step, as shown at step 169, FIG. 7C, the added gatewaydevice and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the Alarms,Diagnostics and Network Management server 85 or like functionality andalarm aggregator sub-system. The new subscriber information maintainedat the Alarms, Diagnostics and Network Management Server 85 may include:alarms; user identifier and other data required for alarms managementsystem; and, diagnostics.

Thus, the provisioning functionality or the like 74 generally providesprovisioning services to all service management center network elements.The managers 74 may send and receive provisioning information via agateway interface (e.g. APIs) to and from 3.sup.rd party provides suchas wholesale VoIP and backup service providers. The provisioningmanagers 74 may also send to and receive from the branding customerservice provider (aka “North Bound” interfaces). The provisioningmanager may provide a graphical user interface for service providerusers and customer users to order; initialize and provision services.The provisioning manager further may distribute the order orprovisioning information to the following functional elements:subscription manager; authentication manager servers; servicemanager(s); SIP directory server; Pub/Sub servers; VOD(s); CAs; billingsystem; firmware update manager; location server; the NWM SBC's; contentprovider(s); and wholesale providers via the gateway interfaces (APIs).

While the provisioning service or functionality was described withrespect to registering new gateway devices or subscribers, functionalityfor provisioning new services for existing users or gateway devices maybe provided in the similar manner, for example, by the provisioningmanager server 74 or like functionality.

Automatic Discovery and Configuration of Endpoint Devices

In one embodiment, a customer or user self-provisions endpoint deviceson a particular multi-services gateway device 10. The provisioningsystem or like functionality 74 may provision how many endpoints and thetypes of devices that can be self-provisioned by the user. In oneembodiment, the gateway devices are capable of automatically discoveringand configuring the gateway device compatible devices belonging toenabled services in the premises such as the home or business, forinstance, with minimal human intervention (e.g. for security purposessome devices may need administrator level prompting to proceed withconfiguration actions). For instance, the gateway device compatibleendpoint devices are devices that the gateway device can communicatewith and thus become the center of management for the services offeredthrough these, endpoint devices. One or more of these endpoint devicesmay have automatic configuration capabilities such as universal plug andplay (e.g. uPNP devices). These endpoint devices may include but are notlimited to, media adaptors, SIP phones, home automation controllers,adaptors that convert IP interfaces to PSTN FXO and FXS interfaces, etc.In one example, the method of configuration, e.g. automatic discoveryand configuration may be based on the specific device's current firmwareor software or like version. The gateway device 10 in one embodimentalso may keep a record or table of configuration information, forexample, for those devices configured automatically. Such informationmay include, for example, for media adaptor, supported formats and bitrates, for home automation controller, information pertaining to thetype of controller such as Insteon, Awave, etc.

As another example, if the phone service is enabled and if the gatewaydevice detects a new SIP device, the gateway device 10 may prompt a userto determine if the detected endpoint device needs to be configured forassociation with the gateway device. If it does, then the gateway device10 may configure the detected device on its network (home network orother premises network). Yet as another example, when new drives areadded to the gateway device for storage expansion, the gateway device 10may automate initialization of the expanded device storage.

Subscription Management

The gateway device 10 may request information from the servicemanagement center network 50 for services that the gateway device 10 issubscribing to, for example, during initialization stage as mentionedabove or at any other time. The service management center network 50contains subscriber and gateway device identification details. Thus, theservice management center network may respond to the request with thesubscription information and version numbers for various configurationdata needed for the services that are subscribed. FIG. 7B illustrateshow a gateway device 10 establishes a service subscription request(service/request check), for instance, via the TCP/TLS/XMPP controlchannel 150 to the service management center 50. This service/requestcheck may be available to ensure that the multi-services gateway device10 is in sync with the network provisioning and subscription managementsystems as to what type(s) of services are allowed for the user. Thisresults in finite and real time control of services allowed by thegateway device for a user, by the application service provider via theservice management center 50. The service check may also be useful tokeep track of service configuration data and/or the firmware/software ofthe gateway device 10, and to keep the same software base irrespectiveof the country/region, but have the ability to loadconfiguration/customization information per user based on locale orother criteria.

As an example, during the multi-services gateway device initializationprocess, the multi-services gateway device 10 queries the subscriptionmanager 71, for example, via the control channel, to determine whatservices and features are enabled for the multi-services gateway device10, i.e. based on subscription by the associated customer with theapplication service provider. The service management center network 50,for example, using its subscription manager functionality 73 respondswith a descriptor including the subscription information associated withthis particular gateway. Examples of data that subscription managerfunctionality 73 may store in one embodiment May include but not limitedto JID/BID, gateway device model number, services subscribed to,features subscribed to per service, revision exception list, for eachgateway device. The multi-services gateway device 10 checks the receivedsubscription information such as version information against the currentversions resident on the multi-services gateway device 10. If themulti-services gateway device 10 determines that the versions aredifferent, it may start initiating one or more downloads of theconfiguration data through web services interface 90 and the applicableservice manager(s) 75. Preferably, the multi-services gateway device'sfirmware and service configuration are implicit subscriptions and hencethe multi-services gateway device 10 will receive notifications via thePub/Sub server 65 when new versions of software and/or serviceconfiguration data are available. The new version notifications indicatethe version to download, and the same logic of version checking isperformed in the multi-services gateway device 10. When downloads arecomplete, the multi-services gateway device 10 subsequently enables thesubscribed services and features.

The subscription manager functionality 73 also informs all requestingservice management center network elements what services and featuresare enabled on a particular gateway device 10. The subscription managerfunctionality 73 also determines what service specific configurationdata needs to be downloaded to the requesting multi-services gatewaydevice 10. In an exemplary embodiment, the subscription managerfunctionality 73 determines the data needed by interacting with servicemanager functionality 75, which stores and distributes specificconfiguration data for services. The subscription manager functionality73 may interface to the multi-services gateway devices 10 (e.g.indirectly) and the following functionalities of the service managementcenter network 50: message routers and session manager(s), theaccessibility server, the service access test mangers, the provisioningmanager, the NWM, VOD's, CAs, pub/sub, service manager server andbilling sub-system. The subscription manager functionality 73 mayadditionally support some internetworking to other service providers viathe gateway interfaces.

In one example, the service management center network 50 includesservice manager functionality 75 for each specific service. The servicemanager functionality 75 may store and distribute service specificconfiguration data for each supported service on a per multi-servicesgateway device basis. Thus, service manager functionality 75 may includeservice specific configuration managers for voice, back-up, or any otherservices that are provided by the center 50 and the gateway devices 10.Examples of this configuration data include, but are not limited to,VoIP configuration data such as location-related dial plan informationand content/media configuration data such as URL links, etc. The servicemanager functionality or servers 75 work with subscription managerfunctionality 73 to resolve multi-services gateway device versionrequests and ensure that the multi-services gateway devices 10 have thecorrect version of configuration data. In one embodiment, there is aservice manager for each supported service. In addition, there may be aservice manager or like functionality for storing and distributingbaseline multi-services gateway device configuration data. Subscriberdata per service may exist inside the service manager and also, storeddirectly in the service component, e.g. SIP Redirect/SBC device. Theservice managers 75 or the like functionality or servers or devices mayinteract with the subscription manager 73, provisioning, NWM, Webservices interface 90, Pub/Sub, message routers and multi-servicesgateway device. Additionally, third party wholesale providers, such as abackup service, may interface to the service managers via a gatewayinterface or an API.

In an exemplary application for gateway device services, data and/orsoftware are distributed to the gateway device 10 to enable it toprovide various services. Configuration data is provided to the gatewaydevice 10 from the service management center network 50. For instance,subscription manager functionality 73 of the service management centernetwork 50, for example as part of initialization process, queries theservice managers functionality 75 to obtain configuration data that canbe sent to the gateway device 10 and which versions from configurationperspective to report back to the gateway device 10. Such configurationdata may include a web service interface URL of the service manager 75for where the gateway device 10 should communicate. The subscriptionmanager functionality 73 then sends the metadata of the configurationdata, that is, information associated with the configuration data backto the gateway device 10. The gateway device then may update itsconfiguration if needed by accessing the service manager functionality75, for example, via the web services interface 90 using the URL, andretrieving the needed configuration data from the service manager(s) 75.In another embodiment, the service management center network (e.g.service manager functionality) may push the needed data to the gatewaydevice 10 via the signaling control channel. For each service, theservice management center network 50 provides configuration data to thegateway device (e.g. via service manager functionality) and posts anotification if new configuration data is required. When the userinvokes the service, the gateway device 10 will thus know all that itneeds to invoke the service. For instance, data that the gateway deviceneeds may be obtained from the service manager functionality 75. Logininformation and keys may be obtained from manager for a particularservice, e.g. for service keys.

FIG. 9A describes details regarding provisioning service onto thegateway device, in one example. A gateway device 10 at step 350initiates a sequence to obtain its subscription information anddetermine whether any updates of configuration data and/or software areavailable. In the illustrated example, the query is launched in responseto an instruction from the service management center, although thegateway device could launch the query under other circumstance. Asubscription information query is communicated from the gateway device,for example, via the control channel to the message router 62, which isforwarded to the subscription manager server 75. The subscriptionmanager server 75 provides a service descriptor message containing thesubscription details (such as service list and latest version list) backto the router 62, which in turn forwards the descriptor message to thegateway device 10. The gateway device 10 makes a determination whetherany updates are available and if so, a service specific manager 75 isemployed to download the provisioning and configuration information toimplement that subscribed service at the gateway device 10, for example,by communications using the web services interface 90. An example of asequence for downloading of the information for the subscribed-toservices and initializing the subscribed-to services as well as thehandshaking signals upon completion as may be performed for each serviceis shown at 354, FIG. 9A. At the end of the sequence, a notification issent to a Pub/Sub server 65 or like functionality to register that thegateway device 10 has subscribed to receive any new provisioningupdates. For instance, a registration for updates may include thegateway id, service id and matching criteria, which generally tells thepub/sub that if there are changes that match the matching criteria inthe service identified by service id, to notify the gateway deviceidentified by the gateway id. The gateway device 10 may optionally senda message for the Pub/Sub server 65 that the gateway device 10 is readyto receive future updates as shown at 357.

Pub/Sub and Updates

As previously mentioned in view of FIG. 5, the Publisher/Subscribe(Pub/Sub) server or like functionality 65 accepts and maintainssubscription requests for gateway device upgrades and device upgradesfrom networked services support elements, and particularly, from everygateway device 10 in the system. Networked elements communicate with thePub/Sub system or like functionality and publish information that otherelements may have subscribed to. The Pub/Sub matching engine matches thepublished information with users (typically gateway devices) that havesubscribed for notices of new specific information. If the Pub/Submatches a “pub” (publish) with a “sub” (subscription), a notificationmessage is sent, for example, via XMPP protocol or like peer andpresence messaging protocol on the signaling control channel, to thesubscribing user, notifying them of the new information.

FIG. 7D highlights how the gateway device 10 and the service managementcenter network elements utilize the signaling control channel and thePublisher/Subscribe (Pub/Sub) function to subscribe for notification ofcertain events and publish notification of these events in oneembodiment. In this high-level example, the gateway device subscribesfor firmware or software updates for the gateway device or endpointdevices that it connects, and is subsequently notified when such anevent occurs. It is understood that the Pub/Sub system providessubscription and publication matching and notification services for boththe gateway devices and the networked service management center elementsor functionalities. Thus, the logical Pub/Sub device 65 may haveinterfaces to all elements that use this mechanism to communicate witheach other including, for example, firmware update manager 51,provisioning manager 74, authentication manager 71, service manager(s)75, subscription manager 73, and the gateway devices 10.

In the scenario depicted in FIG. 7D, the updater 51 with knowledge ofupdates to gateway firmware or software or the like, endpoint devicefirmware or software or the like, or service configuration files or thelike, may publish the update information to the Pub/Sub server or likefunctionality 65, for example, as shown by the route 173. The gatewayupdater 51 may receive a message or notification at 171 that updates areavailable from other sources. Additionally, various service managers (orlike functionality) 75 that handle specific services and associatedconfiguration information and data may publish information in thePub/Sub 65 that updates are available for those services. Thus, in oneembodiment, update manager functionality 51 may publish information onPub/Sub 65 as to the availability of updates for gateway devices andendpoint devices. Similarly, specific service managers or likefunctionality 75. May publish information on Pub/Sub 65 as to theavailability of updates for the respective specific services.

In one example, the update notice published by the updater 51, servicemanagers 75, and/or other software/firmware update manager 51 mayinclude, but is not limited to, new configuration version informationfor latest firmware or software for the specific service or devices. Amatching engine functionality of the Pub/Sub server 65 identifies thegateway devices 10 that are subscribed to receive these particularupdates (e.g. for a specified application service or related feature),and generates and sends a notification message 175 to those identifiedgateway devices that updates are available, for example, via IM-likemessaging (or any other presence and peering protocol) over the publicInternet.

FIG. 7E shows at step 260 the gateway device receipt of a notify messageindicating the published software or configuration update with regard toa particular application service or feature thereof, either for thegateway device or for a digital endpoint device. At step 262, thegateway device 10 makes a comparison against the current version(s) and,determines if the update is needed. If the update is needed forapplication service software, for example, the gateway device 10initiates a pull operation to retrieve the software update, for example,over a secure HTTPs connection at step 265 and, may start or scheduleapplication of the software update to its resident firmware at step 267.In one embodiment, a descriptor package in the published notificationmessage helps the gateway device interpret the command to obtain thesoftware update, e.g. at a certain location in the networked servicemanagement center. In an orderly manner and optionally in a securemanner, e.g. via HTTPS protocol, each of the subscribing gateway devices10 may seek out where in the network the published software updateresides and once authenticated, via authentication manager server orlike functionality, it will retrieve the software. Referring to FIG. 7D,from the service management center network perspective, a request isreceived from each of the gateway devices 10, for example, via a webservices interface 90, to pull the new software version. In oneembodiment this may be take place according to a schedule or prioritybasis. Then, an authentication process is performed, for example, viaauthentication manager 71, and once the gateway device 10 is verified,the available software update may be pulled from the updaterfunctionality 51 (or from individual service managers or firmware updatemanager or like), and forwarded to the gateway device as shown at 177. Asimilar approach to Pub/Sub notification and pull-down may be used todistribute updates of configuration data, for respective applicationservices and/or features thereof, as will be discussed in a laterexample.

As mentioned above, consumers may subscribe for updates to digitalendpoint devices connected to the gateway device 10 as well in oneembodiment. For example, a user has a certain type of phone 40 and, ifthere is an update, the Pub/Sub notification functionality 65 willnotify the gateway device 10 of the updates available for that phonetype. Thus, all of the gateway devices that have that phone 40 will beinformed with service upgrades. In one embodiment, matching enginefunctionality of the Pub/Sub sends notifications of all the updateinformation concerning operation of the phone device 40 to thesubscribers and/or notifies the matching gateway device (that is, thegateway device 10 determined as having this type of phone 40 as one ofits endpoint devices) of updates, for example, via signal controlchannel (e.g. using XMPP), for example, when news or updates arereceived for this particular phone. The matching engine of the Pub/Subdetermines all of the subscribers that are subscribed for that serviceand will put out update notifications to all of the identifiedsubscribers' gateway devices.

Thus, service managers 75 and/or update manager 51 publish updateinformation availability to the Pub/Sub functionality 65, the gatewaydevices 10 subscribe to desired update publication services, forexample, by registering the current versions of its configuration dataand software/firmware to the Pub/Sub 65, and the matching enginefunctionality of the Pub/Sub 65 matches the published data withsubscribing gateway devices 10 and sends a notification to eachsubscribing gateway device 10.

FIG. 98 illustrates a configuration data update push model in oneembodiment. As shown in FIG. 9B, it is assumed that at step 360, thefollowing steps have been performed: gateway registration, anysoftware/firmware updates and that service initialization has beencompleted. At steps 363 the service specific managers or likefunctionality 75 publish a service provisioning update to the Pub/Subserver 65. The published information, for example, may include but isnot limited to, body of the notification, service type, server id of theservice manager 75 publishing the information, matching criteria whichmay include keywords that indicate service components for which theupdate is available, update rate information rate or schedule at whichthe update notification should be performed, for example, to mitigatethe effect of too many gateway devices retrieving the updates all atonce). The Pub/Sub server 65 optionally may check for the gatewaydevices 10 that have subscribed for this configuration data update andmay calculate an update notification rate to ensure a sustainable rate.At steps 365, the Pub/Sub server 65 sends a message destined to all ofthe gateway devices 10 about the service provisioning update, forexample, via a XMPP control channel. Once the update informationdownload from the specific service 75 is complete, the servicemanagement center 50 is notified and the gateway device 10 is nowresponsible for the reconfiguring and provisioning of the gateway devicewith the new data for the particular service. As shown in FIG. 9B, theprocess may be repeated at 367 for each gateway device 10 subscribed tothat service update.

In one example, the service management center network 50 may include asoftware/firmware update manager functionality that keeps the gatewaydevices 10 updated with compatible software and configurationinformation for the gateway's and the endpoints connected to thespecific gateway device. This functionality is similar to the servicemanager functionality that handles configuration data and updates forspecific services provided in the gateway device. The firmware updatemanager (FUM) component or the like functionality may utilize theunderlying accessibility framework of the service management centernetwork to reach the gateway device and interoperate with the in-home(in-premises) digital devices. In embodiment as mentioned above, thegateway devices subscribe for updates on behalf of its endpoint devices.

In one example, the firmware update manager or the like functionalityand the gateway devices authenticate with each other prior to anytransactions. The updates are generally performed automatically. The FUMsends a control signal to the target gateway devices and the gatewaydevice schedules and pulls the data download from the FUM to the gatewaydevice. In one embodiment, the FUM may maintain a database of allgateway devices and endpoints behind the gateway device, with firmwareversion information. This database is indexed based upon the uniqueidentifier and account information for each gateway device. To providethis functionality, the firmware update manager may have interfaces tothe gateway's, pub/sub, provisioning system, and network to managementservers that may further request a “forced update” of endpoint orgateway software to the gateway device. The firmware update manager mayhave network gateway interfaces to other third party partners to gatherupdates for the partner endpoint devices connected to each gateway.

In one example, after device authentication as in FIG. 8B, as part ofthe gateway device registration process, the gateway device 10 may beinstructed to query for its version status as indicated at 330 as shownat sequence 330 in FIG. 8C. The steps in sequence 330 include theinstruction and communication of the query to the updater 51, includingthe software/firmware details of the particular gateway device 10 andassociated endpoint devices. This information from the gateway device 10is forwarded to the connection manager server 60 and sent to the upgrademanager to determine whether the gateway device 10 is performing withthe latest software/firmware versions and proper upgrades. Any upgradesdeemed necessary or available for the gateway device 10 are forwardedback to the control message router 62 and sent back to the gatewaydevice 10 where the updates are installed. Optionally, a packagedownload status sequence 333 may be initiated where the upgrade patch isinstalled at the gateway device 10. The gateway device may bereregistered or restarted and the patch installation is verified at step336. As part of this sequence, the gateway device 10 generates anotification 337 that it is ready to receive firmware updates (e.g.future updates) which communications are forwarded to thepublication/subscription (pub/sub) server of the services servicemanagement center network.

FIG. 8D illustrates software/firmware upgrading processing to connectedgateway devices in one embodiment. As mentioned, the gateway devicesubscribes for certain endpoint software/firmware updates and issubsequently notified when such an event occurs. Thus, the processingillustrated in FIG. 8D may apply for endpoint devices upgrades as wellas the gateway devices. At steps 340, FUM or like functionality notifiesPub/Sub server 65 or like functionality of the available updates. ThePub/Sub server 65 checks whether one or more connected gateway devices10 is subscribed to that particular service upgrade. Optionally, thePub/Sub server 65 may calculate the notification rate for providing thefirmware update and sends the information back to the control messagerouter which forwards the firmware upgrade information to the gatewaydevice in the form of a data structure, for example, including but notlimited to IQSet (a type of XMPP message), upgradeDetails (details forupgrade); downloadTime (time it takes to download the upgrade),timeToUpgrade (time it takes to install upgrade at the gateway device).The software/firmware updates are then downloaded from the appropriatedownload server, via, e.g. HTTPS connection, to the gateway device.Optionally, a package download status message may be sent to thecomponent or functionality (e.g. FUM) from which the upgrades weredownloaded shown at 344. Further after instilling the upgrade at thegateway device 10 or the associated endpoint device, package installstatus message may be sent to the FUM or like functionality to notifythe status of the latest upgrade installation. The gateway device 10 maybe reregistered or restarted and the patch installation verified. Thegateway device 10 may also generate a notification 347 that the firmwareupgrade patch has been completed which notice is forwarded to the FUM orthe like functionality of service management center network.

It should be understood that a software/firmware upgrade throttlingmechanism may be provided such that, dependent upon the load status(resource utilization) as determined by the provisioning firmwaredownload server, the firmware update rate may be modified on the fly.That is, as shown in FIG. 8E, when multiple gateway devices 10′ areconnected and each are subscribed to receive the firmware upgrades, theload status may be determined based on a resource utilization parameterfrom the firmware upgrades manager server. This update notification rateis then recalculated to a sustainable rate depending upon the updateserver load.

As described above, one or more gateway devices 10 communicate with theFUM or like functionality to download compatible software for itself andthe associated endpoint devices. In one embodiment, the gateway device10 is responsible for updating endpoint devices with the downloadedsoftware. A user of the gateway device 10 may have an option that isconfigurable to have updates automatically downloaded when available orbe prompted to initiate the download. For instance, when a new versionof gateway device firmware is available, the FUM or like functionalitynotifies the gateway device either directly or via pub/sub. If the useris configured for automation, then the gateway device would initiatedownload of the firmware. If the user is configured to be prompted thenthe gateway device notifies the user and waits for an ok from the user.If the user agrees for the update then updater in the service managementcenter would initiate a download of the firmware.

In one embodiment, once the software is downloaded, the gateway deviceperforms the automated firmware upgrade to install the received softwareas part of its resident firmware, when indications are clear that theupgrade will not be interrupting other functions or services provided inthe gateway device. For determining compatibility with other existingfunctions or services, the gateway device performs a basic set of“acceptance” tests to make sure that the subscribed services are stillfunctional after the upgrade. This may be done, for example, referringto a matrix or table of information regarding compatibility orinteroperability among software, firmware, hardware or like of variousservices, gateway device components and endpoint devices. In oneembodiment, this matrix or table of information is received as part ofconfiguration data from the service management center network 50, forexample, during initialization procedure and during other communicationsession and may be maintained in the gateway device. In anotherembodiment, the compatibility test may be performed before the upgradesare downloaded, thus necessitating only the compatible versions ofupgrades to be downloaded. The gateway device 10 in one embodiment hasthe capability to fall back to a previous release in the event of asoftware upgrade failure. In one embodiment as described above, FUM orlike functionality keeps track of the various gateway devices that itcommunicates with and the firmware version on each gateway device 10. Inanother embodiment, FUM does not have knowledge of which gateway devices10 need which upgrade. Rather, FUM simply publishes informationregarding any updates to the pub/sub server or like functionality and itis up to the pub/sub server to notify the appropriate gateway devices.

Similarly, for the associated endpoint device a user may have the optionto automate the download or be prompted to initiate the download when anupdate is available in the FUM, for example. For each gateway device 10,the FUM or like functionality may be responsible for tracking thesoftware version status and upgrade availability for the endpointdevices that each gateway device communicates with. Thus, in oneembodiment, the FUM or like functionality may maintain a matrix that mayinclude, but not limited to the following information: the gatewaydevice version; the services enabled on each gateway device; currentlyconnected devices on each gateway device; the software version currentlyon each device; the software versions of the endpoint devices that arecompatible with the existing gateway device version. When a new versionof software or firmware for an end device that is supported on a gatewaydevice 10 is available on the FUM or like functionality, the FUM may dothe following for each gateway device: check to see if the new versionis supported on the current version of the gateway device firmware; andif the new software load and gateway device version are compatible thenFUM notifies the gateway device 10 if that endpoint device is supportedon the gateway device. If the user is configured for automation, thenthe gateway device may initiate download of the endpoint devicesoftware. If the user is configured to be prompted then the gatewaydevice 10 notifies the user and waits for an OK from the user. If theuser agrees for the update then the gateway device may initiate downloadof the firmware. If the gateway device chooses to download the update,then the FUM or like functionality allows the gateway device to downloadthe new version. Once the software or firmware or like is downloaded,the gateway device may perform the automated upgrade of the endpointdevice when indications are clear that it will be not be interruptingthe rest of the functions and services. The gateway device may perform abasic set of “acceptance” tests to make sure that the end device isstill functional after the firmware upgrade in the similar mannerdescribed above with reference to the gateway device firmware upgrade.The gateway device also may have the capability to fall back to aprevious release in the event of an upgrade failure.

In one example, as described above FUM or like functionality keeps trackof the various gateway devices that it communicates with and thefirmware version on each gateway device and/or its endpoint devices. Inanother embodiment, FUM does not have knowledge of which gateway devicesneed which upgrade. Rather, FUM simply publishes information regardingany updates to the pub/sub server or like functionality and it is up tothe pub/sub server to notify the appropriate gateway devices.

With respect to FUM and specific service managers providing update andconfiguration information to various gateway devices and/or networkelements, there may be a plurality of ways in which such notificationmay occur. In one embodiment, different methods may depend on differentcategories of configuration and upgrade data organized, for example, inthe individual FUM or service managers or like functionality. Forexample, data may be classified into different categories such that forone class of data there should be notification available to all gatewaydevices and/or network elements. For this class of data, FUM or servicemanagers or like functionality may publish the available information viathe pub/sub functionality and allow Pub/Sub to determine which gatewaydevices or network elements should be notified and handle sending ofnotifications. Another class of data may be data that is directed to asubset of elements, for example, regional data that are directed togateway devices located in certain regions or locales. For this type ofdata, pub/sub-feature may also be utilized. Yet another class of datamay be data that is solely for a specific gateway device or networkelement. For this type of data, the service mangers or FUM or likefunctionality need not utilize pub/sub feature, rather the data may becommunicated directly to the individual gateway device directly, forinstance, using an XMPP control channel, or to the individual networkelement via interfaces.

Gateway to Gateway Device Communications

As mentioned earlier, the gateway devices and service management centersupport a communication capability between the appliances. This feature,for example, may be utilized for enabling secure peer-to-peer sharing ofdata between or among the gateway appliances. FIG. 7F is anarchitectural diagram, similar to FIG. 5, that illustrates an overviewfor communicating or sharing between the gateway devices. As shown at1402, signaling information is communicated via the signaling controlchannels, for instance using XMPP. Then, the gateway appliances 10,10.sub.1 negotiate the subsequent transfer of media over the data path,as represented logically by the dotted line 1403. In the example, thismedia or data need not travel via the signaling control channel. Thus,for example, a HTTPS path may be negotiated between the appliances 10,10.sub.1. An example of a process or service using this “peer-to-peer”communication would be a file backup in which files are backed up ondifferent gateway devices.

Additional aspects of the peering capabilities enabled by the gatewaydevice-service management architecture include the ability to store aroster or contact list of distant gateways on either the gateway 10 orwithin the service management center 50 and utilizing these addresses tomaintain the presence and routing information of selected othergateways. This roster information is used to establish and manage accessand message routing, via XMPP messaging, to gateways, to locate andaddress other gateways, and set up peering relationships between thegateways.

A gateway may also expose other details about resources or endpointswithin the home to other gateways by communicating resource informationalong with presence information. As an example, a gateway may sendpresence information to selected “buddies” via the signaling channel andalso include information about the resources available to the distantbuddy. Examples of resources include digital picture frames that thedistant gateway user may direct photos to, web cams, or other resources,enabling direct interaction between an end user connected to onegateway, or in automated scenarios, the gateway itself, and a distantdevice connected to the local area network of another gateway.

When a user interacts with the resource sharing functions of theirgateway 10, the user may select a specific gateway 10.sub.1 from theirroster, represented as a “buddy” list. When the user selects a “buddy”,additional resource details are displayed to the user, providinginformation about any resources that the end user may utilize via thatselected peer gateway device 10.sub.1.

The XMPP messaging protocol, combined with the roster and XMPPaddressing mechanisms may be utilized for either end user interactionsor automated interactions between gateways. Automated use of the peeringcapabilities include directing utility data for usage and networkmanagement information to designated collectors within peering groupsand then having the designated collector forward the combinedinformation to the service management center. This distributes thecollection processing to the gateways and decreases the overallprocessing and bandwidth utilization in the service management center.Of course, the XMPP protocol is discussed here merely by way of example,and those skilled in the art will recognize that the gateway to gatewaydevice communications may use other protocols.

The gateway device 10 and its interactions with various endpoint devicesand with the service management center 50 have been described withreference to diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computerprogram products. It will be understood that elements and functionsillustrated in the diagrams, can be implemented by computer programinstructions running on one or more appropriately configured hardwareplatforms, e.g. to operate as a gateway device 10 or as one or more ofthe enumerated elements of the service management center 50. Hence,operations described above may be carried out by execution of software,firmware, or microcode operating on a computer other programmable deviceof any type. Additionally, code for implementing such operations maycomprise computer instruction in any form (e.g. source code, objectcode, interpreted code, etc.) stored in or carried by any computer ormachine readable medium.

Program aspects of the technology may be thought of a “products,”typically in the form of executable code and/or associated data forimplementing desired functionality, which is carried on or embodied in atype of machine readable medium. In this way, computer programinstructions may be provided to a processor of a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, embedded processor or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such thatthe instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer orother programmable data processing apparatus, so as to implementfunctions described above.

Terms regarding computer or machine “readable medium” (or media) as usedherein therefore relate to any storage medium and any physical orcarrier wave transmission medium, which participates in providinginstructions or code or data to a processor for execution or processing.Storage media include any or all of the memory of the gateway device orassociated modules thereof or any of the hardware platforms as may beused in the service management center, such as various semiconductormemories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may providestorage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of thesoftware may at times be communicated through the Internet or variousother telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, mayenable loading of the software from one computer into another computer,for example, from the updater 51 a hardware platform for a gatewaydevice 10 or from another source into an element of the servicemanagement center 50. Thus, another type of media that may bear thesoftware elements includes optical, electrical and electromagneticwaves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices,through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links.The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wirelesslinks, optical links or the like, also may be considered as mediabearing the software. Hence, the broad class of media that may bear theinstructions or data encompass many forms, including but not limited to,non-volatile storage media, volatile storage media as well as carrierwave and physical forms of transmission media.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the teachings of thisdisclosure may be modified, extended and/or applied in a variety ofways. An extension of the system architecture, for example, provides theability of various and disparate third-party application serviceproviders to provide multiple application services independently.Application services are managed by the “managed” service providerthrough the service management center 50, meaning, generally,authorizing, provisioning, and monitoring the usage of a particularapplication service. This can be accomplished in, a variety of ways withvarying degrees of involvement of, or coordination with, the servicemanagement center. The service management center 50 could manage theseitems “soup-to-nuts” or have minimal involvement. For example, theservice management center 50 could deal directly with the third partyprovider to acquire application services at the request of a user andmanage the delivery, authorization, usage-monitoring and upgrading ofthe application service. At the other end of the spectrum, the managedservice provider may have arrangements with the third-party applicationservice provider by which orders or requests from the users may comedirectly to the third-party application service provider, and servicesare delivered to the user by the third-party service provider who inturn coordinates with the managed service provider to register andmonitor the particular application service placed in the gateway device10. It should be noted that this ability to manage application servicesextends through the gateway device into the endpoint devices registeredor associated with the gateway or network.

While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the bestmode and/or other examples, it is understood that various modificationsmay be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may beimplemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may beapplied in numerous applications, only some of which have been describedherein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and allapplications, modifications and variations that fall within the truescope of the present teachings.

1-27. (canceled)
 28. A method performed by a control system toadminister functioning in relation to one or more endpoint devices, themethod comprising: facilitating communications that are performed inpart using a communication channel, wherein: a first part of thecommunication channel receives communications between the control systemand the one or more endpoint devices, wherein the first part of thecommunication channel uses a first interface of the control system; anda second part of the communication channel sends communications, via awide area network and using a second interface of the control system,between the control system and a remotely located system; administeringone or more types of resources; using at least one of the types ofresources to receive sensor information from one of the one or moreendpoint devices; processing the received sensor information using oneor more of the types of resources; and providing controls for at leastsome of the one or more endpoint devices in relation to the sensorinformation; wherein the one or more endpoint devices include at leastone of: a sensor device, an automatic window, a window blind, a lightingor lamp unit, a digital picture frame, a web cam, a music player, amedia player, a television, or any combination thereof.
 29. The methodof claim 28, wherein the communication channel enables communicationsvia the wide area network by connecting to a local wireless network thatis connected to the wide area network.
 30. The method of claim 28,wherein at least some of the controls for at least some of the one ormore endpoint devices are in relation to home security servicescontrolled by the control system.
 31. The method of claim 28, whereinthe at least some of the controls for at least some of the one or moreendpoint devices establish configuration settings, provided from theremotely located system, on at least one of the one or more endpointdevices.
 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more types ofresources comprise central processing unit (CPU) cycles.
 33. The methodof claim 28, wherein the one or more types of resources comprise memoryspace.
 34. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more types ofresources comprise network bandwidth.
 35. The method of claim 28,wherein the first part of the communication channel utilizes X10,Z-Wave, or ZigBee communications.
 36. The method of claim 28, whereinthe one or more types of resources includes a message queue or bufferused in the receiving of the sensor information.
 37. The method of claim28, wherein at least some of the controls for at least some of the oneor more endpoint devices are based on commands spoken by a user.
 38. Themethod of claim 28, further comprising: providing a control interfacethat receives options for configuring automation settings of at leasttwo endpoint devices of the one or more endpoint devices; wherein thecontrol interface uses a first application programming interface (API)to implement the automation settings for a first of the at least twoendpoint devices and uses a second API, different from the first API, toimplement the automation settings for a second of the at least twoendpoint devices.
 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the controlinterface includes an auditory component for receiving voice commandsthat are recognized to determine the options for configuring theautomation settings.
 40. The method of claim 38, wherein the controlinterface is implemented as a graphical user interface, which isprovided for visual display on one of the one or more endpoint devices.41. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, whenexecuted by a control system, cause the control system to performoperations to administer functioning in relation to one or more endpointdevices; the operations comprising: facilitating communications that areperformed in part using a communication channel, wherein: a first partof the communication channel receives communications between the controlsystem and the one or more endpoint devices, wherein the first part ofthe communication channel uses a first interface of the control system;and a second part of the communication channel sends communications, viaa wide area network and using a second interface of the control system,between the control system and a remotely located system; administeringone or more types of resources; using at least one of the types ofresources to receive sensor information from one of the one or moreendpoint devices; processing the received sensor information using oneor more of the types of resources; and providing controls for at leastsome of the one or more endpoint devices in relation to the sensorinformation; wherein the one or more endpoint devices include at leastone of: a sensor device, an automatic window, a window blind, a lightingor lamp unit, a digital picture frame, a web cam, a music player, amedia player, a television, or any combination thereof.
 42. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the control systemprovides voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone services for atleast some of the one or more endpoint devices.
 43. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the administeringone or more types of resources comprises monitoring for excessiveresource utilization by at least one of the one or more endpointdevices.
 44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, whereinthe administering one or more types of resources comprises: determiningan amount of required resources for one or more applications to executeproperly; and taking corrective measures to free up the amount ofrequired resources, wherein the corrective measures comprise one or moreof: prioritizing packets; throttling bandwidth; performing operations toreduce noise on an RF interface; freeing up time slices on a TimeDivision Multiple Access (TDMA) interface; or any combination thereof.45. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein thecontrols for at least some of the one or more endpoint devices: are aresult of an analysis, by the control system, including determining astatus change in based on the sensor information; and provide anautomation schedule for at least some of the one or more endpointdevices.
 46. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, whereinthe operations further include generating operational information basedon the sensor information and sending the operational information to theremotely located system.
 47. The computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 41, wherein the sensor information provides availability, status,integrity, quality, and/or performance information for one of the one ormore endpoint devices.
 48. A control system for administeringfunctioning in relation to one or more endpoint devices, the controlsystem comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memoriesstoring instructions that, when executed by a the one or moreprocessors, cause the control system to perform operations comprising:facilitating communications that are performed in part using acommunication channel, wherein: a first part of the communicationchannel receives communications between the control system and the oneor more endpoint devices, wherein the first part of the communicationchannel uses a first interface of the control system; and a second partof the communication channel sends communications, via a wide areanetwork and using a second interface of the control system, between thecontrol system and a remotely located system; administering one or moretypes of resources; using at least one of the types of resources toreceive sensor information from one of the one or more endpoint devices;processing the received sensor information using one or more of thetypes of resources; and providing controls for at least some of the oneor more endpoint devices in relation to the sensor information; whereinthe one or more endpoint devices include at least one of: a sensordevice, an automatic window, a window blind, a lighting or lamp unit, adigital picture frame, a web cam, a music player, a media player, atelevision, or any combination thereof.
 49. The control system of claim48, wherein the remotely located system provides one or more of:subscription controls; alarm management; remote diagnostic support;voice calling services; media streaming services; data backup services;or any combination thereof.
 50. The control system of claim 48, whereinthe controls for at least some of the one or more endpoint devices arein response to voice controls from a user provided via an always onapplication service.
 51. The control system of claim 48, wherein theoperations further comprise activating or deactivating modules on thecontrol system based on information received from the remotely locatedsystem to authorize or manage execution of a service on the controlsystem.
 52. The control system of claim 48, wherein at least one of theone or more endpoint devices is a television and the operations furtherinclude providing a control interface on the television with menus forcontrolling the aspects of the control system.
 53. The control system ofclaim 48, wherein the operations further include: retrieving andinstalling, in the control system, a first software module that enablescommunication with and/or control over a first of the one or moreendpoint devices and a second software module that enables communicationwith and/or control over a second of the one or more endpoint devices.54. The control system of claim 48, wherein the operations furtherinclude: automatically identifying a first of the one or more endpointdevices; and in response to the automatic identification of the firstendpoint device, retrieving and installing, in the control system, oneor more software modules that enable communication with and/or controlover the first endpoint device by the control system.